


The Night Kept Coming

by I_Am_Crying



Series: Make This Chaos Count [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Angst, Brief Verbal Abuse, Brief homophobia, Derek's A Bit Of An Asshole As Usual, F/M, Fluff, Full Shift Werewolves, Lots Of Platonic (And A Little Bit Of Non Platonic) Scent Marking, M/M, Magic!Stiles, Minor Character Death, Pack Feels, Slowbuild Sterek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-04-10 11:56:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 61,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4390982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Am_Crying/pseuds/I_Am_Crying
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott gets bitten. It's a big deal... Except it's kinda not. It's a struggle at first, but then the Hales adopt him and Stiles into their pack. It feels right.</p><p>''Your friend-'' Derek growled, and Stiles was a few seconds away from pissing himself. ''-is now a werewolf. He was bitten. He survived, meaning he was turned. He could have killed people. And now, he is our responsibility.''</p><p>(CURRENTLY BEING REVISED)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott gets bitten and the Hales reveal themselves.

Scott had barely moved a few paces before a weird noise rang out from behind him. He'd seen too many horror movies with Stiles to be stupid enough to stay and investigate, so he started moving faster, his lungs unhappily expanding and his throat burning as his asthma and the cold air disagreed with him.

The noise rang out again, echoing around the trees, up and down each bank and slope and ringing in Scott's ears. His heart sank. A  _howl_. He kept running, but he knew he was being caught up on. Pain exploded through his side and he yelled out, falling his knees as he lost his balance, his momentum carrying him forward. He jumped upright as quickly as he could, feeling a slick warmth spreading across his skin and soaking his clothes, and began running again, ignoring the burning at his waist for _getting the fuck out of here_.

He stumbled out onto a road and almost collapsed in relief. He knew he could follow the road back into Beacon Hills, and that he wouldn't end up in a ditch in the woods somewhere, just another body for the Sheriff and his deputies to search for in the middle of the night.

When he eventually got home, muscles aching, lungs burning, soaked in blood and almost delirious, he almost didn't make it upstairs. He had to crawl the last few feet to the bathroom. He dragged himself up to sit on the rim of the bathtub and peeled his shirt over his head. This matted mud into his hair and spread it across his face and neck, and he grimaced at the bite in his side. Whatever had bitten him had been freaking _nasty_.

Thank god his Mom had a tendency to constantly bring home various first aid supplies and was currently working the graveyard shift. He had to clean out the bite with several antiseptic wipes, working against the blood, and it hurt. A lot. The thick, wet mud in the bite probably didn't help, and it was a horribly deep wound. He just hoped it didn't need stitches. He found a thick gauze pad to stick over the bite, which was a gushing crescent on his left hip. He was going to _kill_ Stiles.

 

\----

 

Scott had ridden his bike to school- which he regretted after ten minutes as it pulled at his side, and his eyes kept watering. He'd met Stiles outside the school again, and told him in a hushed whisper, what had happened the previous night.

''A wolf? I don't think so dude, there haven't been wolves in California for like sixty years.'

''I know what I saw Stiles, and what else could've bitten me?'' 

Stiles sighed, rubbing his hands together. ''I don't know dude.''

''This is _all_ your fault you know? If you hadn't dragged me out in the middle of the freaking night, I wouldn't be in this situation!'' 

Stiles didn't reply, but looked down at his feet. They stood in silence for several minutes.

 ''Oh, and I found the body.''

'' _What?!_ '' Stiles moved closer to Scott, wide-eyed, remorse forgotten.

''Yeah, I fell over it while trying to get home, it was right after that- yeah.''

''Dude, this is _huge_! We should go back for it today, try and find it! Do you remember where it was?!''

Scott sighed, he should have _known_ that this would happen.

''Probably, I don't know.''

Stiles just grinned at him, his eyes gleaming manically. Scott hated that look.

Stiles kept talking, presumably about the body, but Scott had zoned out, worrying about the implications of the burning bite in his side. He couldn't have rabies right? Man, his Mom was going to murder him, it wasn't like he could hide it forever... And what if it got infected?  
Scott barely registered Stiles fawning over Lydia Martin as she walked past- and getting ignored, same as always.

''C'mon dude, lets go.'' Scott grabbed Stiles by the collar and pulled him along to class.

\----  

Scott had to listen to Stiles talking about werewolves as they trekked through the woods again, partly there to look for the corpse torso, and in Scott's case, to look for Scott's inhaler that he'd dropped the previous night.

Stiles' theory made sense in a stupid way, Scott _had_ had a weird day, hearing stuff he shouldn't have been able to, like the new girl's conversation and had suddenly and mysteriously becoming incredible at Lacrosse, but he knew that it was just Stiles' overactive imagination. _'Werewolves, yeah right.'_

When they came across the spot that Scott was sure the body had been, they found it empty.

''Maybe the killer moved the body?'' Stiles suggested.

''If he did, I hope he left my inhaler. Those things are like eighty bucks.''

''What are you two doing here?''

Stiles flinched and they both look up at the guy standing a few feet away from them, who'd apparently appeared out of nowhere. He looked no more than a few years older than Scott and Stiles and the first thing that Stiles picked up on was that the guy looked like he'd happily murder both of them right now. Maybe the murderer _had_ returned to the scene of the crime. Except this guy looked more like an Armani model than a murderer.

''This is private property.''

They both started at him in shock before Stiles' brain started moving again. ''Sorry dude, we didn't know.''

Then Scott piped up. ''We were just looking for something... But forget it, it doesn't matter.''

In a blur of motion the guy tossed something- Scott's inhaler- through the air and Scott snatched it before it hit his face. As Scott pulled it into his hands, Stiles watched something like recognition flash across the guy's face, aimed at Scott. It was then that Stiles figured out where he knew the guy from. He recognised him as Derek Hale, who'd been three years ahead of Scott and Stiles in school.

Derek stalked forward, his gaze focused on Scott. Both of them took a couple of steps back but Derek descended on Scott, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and-  _smelling him._ _'This guy's off his rocker_ ' Stiles thought as he shouted ''Dude!'' at Derek.

Scott stared at Derek through wide eyes.

''It's you.'' Derek's voice had dropped a few octaves to more of a growl, and both Stiles and Scott were getting progressively more and more freaked out. Scott tried to push Derek's hand off of him to no avail.

''We smelled your blood but there were too many people- too much chaos to follow you. But it's you. You haven't hurt anyone?''

Scott and Stiles were both staring at Derek in half horror, convinced that he'd absolutely lost his mind. Stiles got Derek's attention by loudly clearing his throat.

''Um hi, sorry, I don't know what your problem is, but Scott didn't do anything or hurt anybody. Whatever the hell your issue is, leave us out of it.''

Derek's expression darkened. And kept darkening, he opened his mouth in a malicious grin and Stiles watched, goosebumps flooding his skin as Derek's teeth grew into fangs and his face changed, his eyebrows disappearing as his face drew together, all twisted, as hair spread down the sides of his face. 

Stiles pretty much flew backwards, throwing himself away from this _thing._

''Your friend-'' Derek growled, and Stiles was a few seconds away from pissing himself. ''Is now a werewolf. He was bitten. He survived, meaning he was turned. He could have killed people. And now, he is our responsibility.''

Scott was shouting illegibly and trying to wrestle free of Derek's grip, but Derek's fingers had sprouted claws and twisted into the fabric of Scott's clothes, so much so that Scott couldn't get free. Obviously Stiles' brain short-circuited, losing all ability to use reason and logic, and also _fear_ , and so his mouth just started working without his consent.

''Wait, so you're a werewolf? I mean, I gotta say when I said earlier that Scott had been bitten by a werewolf I was ten thousand percent joking. Did you drug us? Cause' I feel like that's probably the only explanation for what is happening right now. I mean c'mon werewolves aren't real. Scott was probably just bitten by a rabid dog or something. He shouldn't definitely get shots, but he's not going to turn into some... some _thing_  like you, and also is that some freaky stage makeup? Cause' if it is then congrats on your talent dude. And when you say 'we' do you mean like the royal 'we', or do you have other furry friends? Was it you who bit Scott? Because firstly I feel like I should tell my dad, the Sheriff about _werewolves_ in Beacon Hills, and secondly how is this not widespread information if you just go around biting people? What is happening?''

Stiles managed to say all of this in about fifteen seconds, and didn't understand most of what he said himself. Derek, however had apparently kept up with his rambling. Stiles watched as Derek's features slowly melted back to normal and he released Scott, who ran over to Stiles' side and glared at Derek, without any heat behind it because he was trembling with fear. Derek sighed.

''Okay. Okay, listen. Yes, there are more of us. My family, we're werewolves. We didn't turn... Scott, was it? Yeah, we don't know who did. Well, we do know it was a rogue wolf, but we don't know _who_ it is. Scott is our responsibility now because he was turned in our territory and it's therefore our job to teach him to control his shift and stay under that radar of the authorities. Yes, werewolves are real, and no I didn't _drug_ you. Scott doesn't need shots, his bite will probably already have healed.'' Much of the speech sounded like he was just regurgitating what he'd been told before.

Stiles stared at Derek, a little dazed at the information he'd been given, and equally at how softly Derek had delivered it. Scott wrestled with his torn shirt to pull it up and tare at the gauze over his side. Sure enough, his side was completely healed, like it had never been there in the first place.

''I'm supposed to take you back with me- My mother, our alpha, wants to meet you, to talk to you.''

Scott finally found his voice- and it was loud.

''NO WAY!'' He winced at his own shout, but didn't acknowledge that his shout shouldn't have been loud enough to actually cause him pain. ''No way. I don't- I don't believe any of this! I don't know _how_ or _when_ your drugged us, but it’s the only explanation for any of this! There's no such thing as werewolves, and I'm not going to let you abduct us!''

Derek rolled his eyes, and something occurred to Stiles.

''Dude, if we'd been drugged, we wouldn't see the same thing.''

This information seemed to very _slowly_ get into Scott's head, and even when he seemed to get it, he still angrily denied what Stiles was saying, shaking his head vigorously in the process.

''No. No, no. This, this isn't happening. I'm gonna- I'm going home!''

He grabbed Stiles' wrist and started pulling him along, his strength taking hold and probably bruising Stiles' wrist. Stiles tried not to complain, he knew that Scott would be more reasonable when he'd calmed down, maybe slept on it.

Derek however, did not know this. Derek saw a volatile pup, freshly turned and completely out of control. Derek saw Stiles' wince, and saw the pup hurting a human with his uncontrolled strength. Derek saw a danger to his pack's secrets, to his pack's safety.

Before Stiles could blink, Scott had released his wrist and was slumped down on the ground, unconscious. Derek, whose shift vanished during another blink, scooped Scott up over his shoulder. He looked at Stiles with softer eyes.

''Are you going to follow, or should I knock you out as well?''

Stiles looked over the werewolf, newly conscious of his willingness to hurt. ''I'm following, definitely following, lead the way Sourwolf.''

Stiles didn't know where the nickname had come from, but clearly his messed up head thought it appropriate to give nicknames to dudes who'd just knocked out his best friend.

Derek nodded, a slight scowl on his face, and Stiles began to follow, walking head first into the wolf's den. _'Ha ha_.' He thought. 

 

\---- 

 

Stiles had vague memories of the Hale house, but they were seven, eight years old, and few in number. He's been here a few times with his mom, a lifetime ago. He could vaguely recall being babysat by the oldest Hale child, Laura, on a few occasions. The youngest Hale sibling, Cora, was in some of his classes, but he'd never interacted with her at all. 

Derek marched across the clearing ahead of Stiles towards to tall house. It wasn't until Stiles' survey of the house came to the front door, that he noticed the tall woman standing in the doorway, radiating power that even Stiles could pick up on.

''Is that him?'' She asked softly to her son, too quiet for Stiles' human ears to pick up on.

''Yeah.'' Derek replied, louder, leaving Stiles confused as to what he was replying to.

The woman's eyes then moved to Stiles, who stopped in his tracks thirty feet away. Her expression moved through curiosity and confusion, before settling on recognition.

''Stiles?'' It took a long minute for the memory to come back to Stiles. He's only ever met Talia Hale a couple of times, years ago, but clearly the woman had left an impression on the younger Stiles that the older Stiles hadn't shaken.

Stiles didn't have anything to say though. He took a couple of slow steps forward but didn't make any move to actually approach the woman. Her attention briefly turned back to Derek, and her tone turned admonishing as she spoke to Derek.

''Why is he unconscious Derek? I asked you to speak to him, reasonably, and bring him back here, not beat him senseless!''

Stiles ears just picked up on Derek's mumble of ''Should've sent Laura then.'' Stiles recalled his younger self's impression of Laura Hale, the scary older girl that could be kind and funny but also incredibly bossy, at least when she was younger. 

Stiles mind finally made the connection, Derek was Talia's son, which made Talia... _'Oh god-_ ' Stiles thought, shock racking his body. _'My Mom was friends with a werewolf. An alpha werewolf, whatever that means. Did she know? She must have known, but... What does that mean?'_

Talia smelled the shock rolling off of the lanky boy standing outside of her house. She may have only met him a couple of times before, when he was still in single digits and only briefly, but Claudia had _raved_ about her son, and Talia knew from her that Stiles was exceptionally intelligent.

That didn't explain why he was here though. She'd asked Derek to bring back the Beta, which, she probably _should_  have sent Laura instead, but why was the Stilinski boy here, when he was so obviously human?

There was fear rolling off of the boy under the shock, and Talia knew she had to get the situation under control before the whole town knew about their resident werewolf pack. Talia didn't know the boy well enough to know how he would react, but he was a liability and she had to make him understand.  
''Stiles, why don't you come inside?'' She instantly regretted using such a powerful tone, a tiny whisper of a whimper came from the boy, who had started shaking like a leaf.

''I- Did my Mom know?''

His voice was surprisingly level, and Talia suspected he wasn't aware that he was going into shock.

''Yes, she did.''

Stiles nodded, and shook himself, taking slow steps towards the house, steeling himself for Scott's benefit alone. He wouldn't leave his friend alone in this.  
Inside the house Derek had unceremoniously dropped Scott onto a couch, just to left inside the door. Stiles pulled Scott's head up and sat down, so that Scott's head rested in his lap. Derek leant against the door frame that Stiles had passed to get to Scott, watching with a bored expression but interest in his eyes. Stiles looked down at Scott to stop from scowling at the werewolf.

''He'll wake up soon, he's already almost there.''

Stiles ignored Derek, instead suspiciously following Talia with his eyes as she walked into the room and sat carefully on the small couch opposite Scott and Stiles. Derek remained where he was.

''Scott- Scott isn't going to like this.''

Stiles spoke up, still looking down at his chosen brother instead of at the other werewolves.

''He- He's going to be pissed. I don't know if he'll sit here and listen to what you have to say.''

''Yes he will!'' Derek growled from the corner of the room.

''Derek!'' Talia silenced her son and addressed Scott.

''Scott, I know you're awake.''

Scott opened his eyes and looked up at Stiles, before frowning and sitting upright next to him, close enough to be pressed against his side. Stiles understood to blatant territorial show, on some subconscious level. He reached up with his other arm and rubbed Scott's shoulder for a few seconds before awkwardly dropping his hand into his lap. Scott turned to Derek.

''So you actually abducted us. I'll admit, I was mostly joking when I said it before... But wow, here we are.''

''Scott!'' Stiles hissed, and Scott glanced at him.

''Sorry about Derek, he tends to get like that. Probably because of the pole up his ass, mind you don't trip over it.''

All four of them turned to look at the woman standing in the doorway with varying degrees of anger. Scott was just generally pissed of, Stiles was unusually apathetic, Talia was mostly indifferent and Derek span around to growl at his sister.

''Shut up Laura! I told Mom I shouldn't have gone!''

The beautiful woman smirked and moved into the room, bumping lightly into Derek as she passed and settling onto the couch next to her mother.

''Hi. I'm Laura. Laura Hale. And you're Stiles Stilinski. You've grown up.'' She offered her hand. Stiles shook it. Scott didn't. She didn't seem fazed.

Scott mostly ignored her and rounded on Talia. ''So you bit me? I don't understand why!''

Talia's expression darkened, and Stiles could see exactly where Derek had picked up his signature scowl from. Stiles was a little bit terrified, but he remembered what Derek had said. A rogue alpha. Stiles had faith that the Hales weren't lying to them. He didn't know why, but he knew.

 _''Listen pup I'm trying to be patient, but you have to listen!'_ ' Scott flinched as Stiles watched, his belief that Talia was not to be messed with solidified in his head. Scott lowered his head- Derek and Laura nodded at the show of submission, finally Scott was starting to show some respect, even if it was unwillingly.

''Good. I didn't _bite_ you. We don't currently know the identity of the rogue werewolf, but we know this; they are an alpha, which means they are incredibly dangerous. You are the first human to have been attacked, but we suspect you won't be the last. You should know; we have lived in the town, secretly, for generations. We have managed this by controlling our shifts and blending in with the human population. Not only this, but werewolves that are not in control, as you have experienced, are dangerous. You were turned on our land and in our territory, and therefore you are our responsibility. You will be free to move away from this town, or to leave this house and never look back, but not until I can be certain that you are _fully_ under control.''

Scott looked completely overwhelmed, and like his brain had stopped moving. 

''Now please. We may not be human, but we are not feral or uncivilized. I'm Talia Hale, alpha of the Hale pack. It's an honor to meet you.''

Stiles elbowed Scott, who blinked at Talia's outstretched hand for several seconds before grasping it.

''Scott McCall. Um, thank you? Sorry, I'm just still having a hard time believing that all of this is real.''

Talia considered this, then glanced at her children. Simultaneously, all three of them changed to look similar to how Derek had been before. The only difference between the three of them, was that Derek's eyes glowed blue, Laura's glowed yellow and Talia's glowed red. Scott whimpered lowly when Talia made eye contact with him, and even Stiles shuddered, feeling the need to submit to the alpha.

They dropped their shifts and looked expectantly at Scott.

''That body, in the woods. Was that the- the alpha did that?'' Scott asked nervously, tapping his hand against Stiles' knee. Stiles didn't think he knew he was doing it.

Talia nodded. ''Yes. The girl, she was an omega- a packless wolf- she was coming here to us to ask to join our park, we believe. The alpha got to her before we did.'' There was a stoic sadness to Talia, picked up more by instinct that actual expression.

Scott was nodding, like he didn't know what else to say. Stiles could tell he believed it, maybe hadn't really accepted it yet, but believed It. Scott then seemed to remember Stiles was there.

''This, this is Stiles. Stiles Stilinski.''

''Yes, I am aware.'' Talia told him. She turned to Derek. ''My query is, why he is  _here_ , when I asked Derek to bring the beta alone to me.''

Derek paled. ''Look, I'm sorry okay! I'm not good at this. He was just _there_ with this one-'' He gestured to Scott. '' And I couldn't get him alone without it seeming strange!''

Talia sighed and Laura piped up. Stiles got the impression that she was the buffer child, the one who dispersed the awkward and uncomfortable situations.

''So, have you had any... Sticky situations yet? The full moon is in four days, I wouldn't be surprised if you're having issues.''

Scott scrunched up his face. ''The full moon? What?''

Scott's confusion seemed to bring new determination to Talia who cut in.

''Right, okay. What you need to know right now, is that in packs, you have an alpha and betas. The alpha is the leader, obviously. The betas are the other members of the pack, that exist under the alpha's command. The more betas in a pack, the more powerful an alpha is.''

Stiles couldn't help piping up. ''How many betas do you have?''

Talia grinned. ''Seventeen. There are a lot of cousins in this family.'' That shut Stiles up.

''So yes. If a beta breaks from their pack, they exist as omegas. Omegas don't last long, as we are pack animals. Alphas can turn humans into betas with a bite or claws if they get deep enough. Not everyone who is bitten turns. Some die. On full moons we find it difficult to control our shifts, and if we succumb, we become wild animals, blood thirsty and vicious. This is why we need anchors, which are emotional triggers that keep us tied to our humanity. Many of us, including myself and my children, can achieve the full shift, a phenomenon that allows us to turn into full wolves.''

Stiles' brain was racing, desperate for more information, to learn, to know everything. But he was pretty sure Scott would not be able to handle anything more right now. Scott needed sleep, Stiles could tell. Apparently Talia could too.

''Now, there's not much more we can do today, and I'm sure you need time to process this. I'm assuming you drove here? Derek can take you to your car. I want to see you here tomorrow, straight after school. _Both_ of you.''

Stiles was surprised but secretly pleased to be included.

''You can go home now, but be warned, I will have people in the area to make sure you and your families are safe, and if you tell _anyone_ -''

Her face darkened and Stiles had to stop himself from moving back.

''I will _personally_ kill you, and whoever you tell. Good evening.''

She stood up and left the room silently, leaving Scott and Stiles stunned and reeling.

''C'mon then, thing 1 and thing 2, let's go.'' Derek called to them, opening and walking through the front door.

Scott and Stiles, clinging to each other, followed.

\--- 

Stiles lay on Scott's bed, next to the snoring werewolf, staring at the ceiling. Scott had asked if Stiles wanted to come over to play video games, but instead they'd spent the evening staring at the walls, thinking about what had happened earlier. Thankfully Melissa was on the night shift again, or she would've known something was wrong.

Scott had fallen asleep eventually, but Stiles was restless. He couldn't believe this was his life. Yesterday he'd been worried about Lacrosse and Lydia Martin, but now... Now those things seemed petty and pointless.

Once or twice after Scott has passed out, Stiles had crept over to the window and peered out at the dark street. It was too dark to be sure, but Stiles thought he saw a familiar black car parked halfway down the street. He had half mind to go to whoever it was, just to make sure this was real.

_'Werewolves. If they're real, then there must be other stuff too. Vampires? God, I don't know. I just hope Scott survives this.'_

Another hour passed in silence, apart from Scott's heavy breathing, and Stiles found himself thinking about the middle Hale sibling. He'd admired Derek once or twice from afar in school, mostly because Stiles had a thing for beautiful people, but this was the first time Stiles had been seen or acknowledged by Derek Hale. Now he wasn't even sure if that was what he wanted, considering what had come with it.

He didn't know how long he'd survive as a human in the midst of a wolf pack, but he knew that he do whatever it took to keep Scott safe, not that he was really the authority on that anymore anyway.

Stiles finally fell asleep to the rhythm of Scott's snoring and dreamt of wolves.

\---

  
''I don't think he'll cause trouble. He's a Stilinski, Mom, he's not going to do anything dangerous.''

Talia knew what her daughter was saying was true. She sighed, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms.

''That's not what I'm worried about, Laura. I'm worried that he'll get hurt, you know what it's like being involved with our kind.''

''We have humans in the family, Mom, they've managed fine. And besides, if that McCall kid's reaction is anything to go by, he's going to need Stilinski. Seemed like he was the only thing keeping McCall sane today.''

''I know. Truth is, I think Stiles will make a fine addition to the pack, if he should choose so. McCall though... I don't know. Seems like he's too attached to his old life to be able to accept a new one.''

''Well he's going to have to, isn't he? The full moon is in four nights, Mom, and we need to get him searching for an anchor, and preparing him to be locked up. It's a miracle he didn't hurt anyone last night, especially as the alpha was roaming. It could've easily called him out.''

''I know. I think we're going to end up with several new betas before we see this through to the end. The alpha has no qualms about biting teenagers, which means we're also probably going to end up with a few dead ones. _Shit.''_

''Have you heard back from Peter yet Mom?''

''No, last time he checked in, he said he had a possible lead on the thing, but we all know how impossible it is to track. He probably hasn't had much luck.''

''Then why hasn't he checked in yet?''

''I don't know. But I do know that my brother can handle himself. I'm just worried for those boys.''

''Mom, they're going to be fine. They have you on their team, they won't have any problems.''

Talia hugged her daughter, but her face showed her doubt. She was seriously concerned.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback and comments are massively appreciated, and thank you so much for reading!


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The full moon quickly approaches, making things very difficult for Scott. Stiles discovers he's not as separate from the supernatural world as he had previously assumed.

Stiles woke up wrapped in limbs that weren't his own. He'd woken up this way a hundred times before, and probably would a hundred times more in the future, but this time something was different. It wasn't like Scott's drooling was just starting to bother him _now_ , or that he needed to pee but Scott was holding him hostage. No. It was that Scott was now a werewolf. 

 This wasn't a problem in the traditional sense to Stiles (If you can call having a problem with your best friend being a werewolf traditional, in any possible way, shape or form). Stiles' issue, was how _little_  the whole thing was bothering him. 

He woke up, untangled himself from Scott and watched him pull the blankets over his head, groaning and reluctant to properly wake up. The only problem Stiles had, was that he felt like he should be more freaked out by what was happening to his best friend.

Lycanthropy wasn't exactly just another thing Stiles could just take in his stride, like his GPA dropping slightly because he tanked a test, or his dad sneaking burgers at work. And yet, Stiles didn't feel any panic or anxiety, or even fear, at all.

 Scott pulled the blanket back from over his head and frowned at Stiles, squinting through the light.''Are you okay dude? You smell weird.''

Stiles pulled his shirt up to his nose before shouting indignantly at Scott.''No I do not!''

 Scott rolled out of the bed and stood next to Stiles, stretching and yawning simultaneously.     

''Whatever you say, bro.''

And that was it. 

Scott  _did_  act a little weirdly as they both got ready to go to school, he gave Stiles his hoodie to wear even though Stiles had his own, hugged him before  _and _ after they ate breakfast for no apparent reason, and brushed up against him in a full-body kind of way, which Stiles didn't think he was comfortable with. He didn't mention any of it though, deciding that Scott probably didn't want to think about the whole werewolf thing right now, and who was he to deny Scott his denial period.

When they arrived at the school and climbed out of the Jeep, Scott threw an arm around Stiles' shoulders and Stiles briefly decided that as long as there was no repeat of Scott's full-body brush-up, then he didn't mind Scott's new... Touching thing. Maybe it was werewolfness, not that Stiles would know.

They managed to get through most of the day without incident, which was pretty much the same as every other day, except this day had more potential for maulings and bodily harm. 

They sat together through English, which would have been great on any other day, except Stiles was now hyper aware of Cora Hale who sat three rows behind him,  _ just _in his peripheral vision. Cora Hale had never been on Stiles' radar before; he supposed she could be considered popular, Stiles at least knew she was witty and intelligent, but she mostly kept to herself which Stiles now fully understood. 

His mind kept returning to the previous night, and every time it did his skin crawled, mostly with the whole fear of potential maulings thing. 

At one point, about halfway through the lesson she moved and caught his eye, and he looked around, only to make eye contact with her. Stiles could tell straight away that she knew he knew, and he was pretty sure she fully intended to use her knowledge of his knowledge to fuck with him. 

She grinned wolfishly (no pun intended) and Stiles was eighty percent sure he didn't imagine her eyes flashing yellow. It was safe to say he turned around and didn't look in her direction for the rest of the lesson, even though he felt her eyes constantly burning holes in the back of his head. 

Their next lesson was chemistry, which Stiles probably would have enjoyed, had Harris, AKA the world's biggest asshole, not been their teacher. Harris thoroughly enjoyed torturing his class, Stiles especially, and Stiles thought that he'd probably see Harris in hell. 

Luckily there were no Hales in his chemistry class, and while he knew it was fully possible there were werewolves outside of the family, he was grateful to be ignorant to their potential existence. Stiles managed to make it to the end of chemistry, but not without wanted to maim Harris himself on several occasions. 

Everything was calm and boring up until the end of their lunch. Jackson Whittemore, who was simultaneously the most popular and most hated guy in the school decided to barrel straight into Scott in the hallway and shout something, which Stiles was glad not to have heard, over his shoulder before carrying on walking.

Stiles knelt down to help Scott up off of the floor but hesitated when he heard Scott making a weird noise. When Scott didn't stop making the weird growling noise, Stiles moved forward to put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

A hand caught his arm in a painful grip and ripped it away from Scott. He looked up to see Cora scowling at him like he was a complete idiot. Maybe he was, but it wasn't his fault. He didn't know anything about werewolves.

''Don't.'' 

She told him, crouching next to Scott and examining him with a quick sweep of her eyes, which were  _definitely_ glowing yellow this time. She looked to Stiles, who had to resist reeling backwards. This girl was freaking terrifying.

''Help me get him into that classroom.''  

She ordered him, and he didn't, nor did he want to, disobey her. He pulled on Scott's left arm, the one Cora didn't have a death grip on and helped haul Scott to his feet, dragging him inside the nearest classroom which was thankfully empty, although Stiles got the impression Cora had known that.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Cora shoved Stiles away from Scott, who was making the same rumbling noise but it was much louder now. She pulled him away from the window in the door and pushed him roughly against the wall.

Stiles wanted to shout or maybe tackle her, but he got the impression she knew what she was doing, and he didn't want to get, y 'know, mauled. 

''Scott!'' 

Stiles couldn't help flinching when Cora literally snarled in Scott's face. The threat made Scott lift his head, and Stiles completely shut down for a few seconds, taking in Scott's appearance, which was the same as the other werewolves Stiles had come into contact with. Hair sprouted down the sides of Scott's face and his features became twisted and drawn. Stiles was totally going to mock him at a later date. It was this thought that made Stiles start to function again.

''What can I do?'' 

He asked Cora, who glanced over at him and then turned her attention back to Scott.

''Nothing, right now. He won't be safe until he finds his anchor. Unluckily for the both of you, it can take months for us to find our anchors.''

'' _I told Mom this was a bad idea.''_ She muttered to herself.

Stiles couldn't help it, as questions started pouring out of his mouth without his brain's permission. ''What's your anchor? What happens if he never finds his anchor? How will he know if he's found his anchor?''

Cora growled, but still answered his questions. Stiles wondered if Talia had  _told_  Cora to be nice, or at least tolerant of Stiles because he guessed she wouldn't be normally. But if that  _was _ the case, it only made things more confusing as to why Stiles was included in the whole werewolf mess when the Hales could easily tell him to beat it.

''My anchor is my family. My pack. It's rare for werewolves to not find their anchor, what's more common is that they can be lost. A werewolf in that situation would most likely go feral unless they can find a new anchor, fast, and not be crippled by the loss of the old one. He'll know when he'd found his anchor because he won't shift every time he gets pushed in a corridor.''

This apparently angered Scott, who lunged at Cora with a snarl and hands that had twisted into claws. She slammed him back against the wall with a smack to his right shoulder and Stiles winced. Cora snarled at Scott again. _'' Get yourself together McCall! Do you want to have to be locked up until you get yourself under control? Cause' that's what'll happen if you don't.'' _

Scott slowly came to his senses, his shift slowly melting away over a couple of minutes as he breathed heavily and started at his hands that returned to their blunt, human state. Scott looked up at Cora, his eyes back to their regular brown from glowing yellow, and he looked  _devastated. _

''I- I'm so- I'm so-''

Cora cut him off.

''Shut up. It's okay. It's only been two days, Scott. You'll figure it out.''

Stiles was surprised at how softly she spoke to Scott, but it seemed to have the desired effect on him, as he seemed less upset but still stared at his hands with hunched shoulders. Cora let go of him.

''C'mon, we're ditching the rest of the day. My Mom wanted you guys at our house after school anyway, you'll just be a couple of hours early.''

Stiles nodded in agreement. Scott didn't seem fit to be in classes at the moment, he could see that now.

''I'll go to the nurse, tell her Scott had an asthma attack. I'll also tell her my Jeep's got a flat, and you offered to drive us home.''

Cora grinned and slung an arm around his shoulder while still watching Scott reeling. 

''Stilinski? I like you.''

Stiles got the impression that from Cora, that was quite an honour. 

 

\----

 

They rolled along the path to the Hale house through the preserve a short while later, listening to Scott who was  _still_ bitching about having to sit in the back seat. Stiles found it amusing, mostly because Scott shouldn't have thought shotgun was going to work on Cora Hale. 

Luckily for all three of them, Scott had managed to stay human ever since Cora had talked him down the first time. Stiles figured that Scott's fear of his shift was probably keeping him from actually shifting, but the second he got pissed off, Stiles was pretty sure he would lose it. 

The werewolves in the house must've heard them pull up, because Cora hadn't texted or called home, and there were three people waiting for them on the porch. On closer inspection, Stiles recognised Talia's form, but the other two, both men, were unfamiliar. 

The three of them climbed out of the car and Stiles could feel anxiety building in his chest, a horrible twisting sensation. It made his heart fire rabbit-quick and from the way Cora grimaced at him in the corner of his eye, he guessed she could hear it. 

Scott and Stiles trailed behind Cora who marched towards the house. They both walked close together, stalling for as long as possible by moving at a snail's pace and looking at their feet.

Stiles expected to be chastised, maybe for skipping school, but he didn't expect Talia to walk towards them and wrap them both in a tight hug. When she released them, she looked them both over, looking worriedly into both of their faces.

''Are you okay? Neither of you is hurt?''

They both shook their heads, slightly dazed at the unexpected show of affection. Talia turned to Cora.

''Cora, what's happening?''

Cora shrugged and glanced at the two men who were still standing on the porch, watching the scene with mild interest.

''Scott shifted in the middle of school, I figured it was best to bring him back here. He shouldn't have been there Mom.''

Stiles guessed she'd said that last part before, judging from her tone of voice. Talia sighed in a resigned way that confirmed Stiles' suspicion. He flitted between anger and disdain that Talia had let Scott go to school when he was clearly a danger to himself and those around him, and gratitude that she had let Scott continue being as normal as possible.

''Come on in then, boys.'' 

Cora and Scott followed Talia into the house immediately, which surprised Stiles who wasn't expecting Scott to be so obedient. Scott dropped his eyes and didn't look at either of the men on the porch as he walked passed them.

Stiles, however, stayed where he was, eyeing the two men suspiciously. They both looked familiar in a way that led Stiles to believe they were both Hales, but he'd never seen nor met either of them before. The one on the left was taller than the other, he was large in a lean, gangly sort of way and wore dark glasses that almost hid his bright eyes. From the way he held himself and surveyed Stiles, Stiles guessed he was Derek's father, despite the differences in their builds. He then turned and followed Cora, Talia and Scott into the house.

The second man, however, stayed where he was, watching Stiles. Stiles couldn't pinpoint who he was at all. He was tall, built more similarly to Derek and looked intelligent, although Stiles thought that was maybe more of a vibe he was picking up on than anything physical.

For a long minute, they just stared at each other, before the man's mouth curled up amusedly and he walked down the porch steps to meet Stiles. He offered his hand.

''Peter Hale. Talia's brother. I don't believe we've met before.''

Stiles looked at Peter's face and his outstretched hand for a long time, before finally grabbing his hand and shaking it. 

''Stiles Stilinski. I assume you know who _I_ am.''

Stiles then brushed passed Peter and headed for the house, hearing the quiet chuckle that came from behind him. Stiles walked through the front door of the house and into the room they had sat in the previous evening. He found the others, sat and apparently waiting. Scott was sat on the edge of the sofa, his knee bouncing and looking incredibly tense. Stiles sat next to him and briefly squeezed his knee. 

Stiles looked up to meet Talia's eyes. The first guy was sitting on her right and Cora sat on her left, doing something on her phone. Peter moved quietly into the room and stood behind the couch that Scott and Stiles were sat on. It put Stiles a little on edge, but he kept it to himself.

Talia finally spoke.

''Scott, Stiles, this is my husband, Rowan.'' 

She paused as Rowan reached across to shake their hands.

''Hi. It's nice to meet you two.''

Stiles grabbed his hand pretty happily, and Scott took it after a few seconds of consideration. Rowan seemed pleased and sat back, watching them without saying anything else. Talia nodded and then gestured behind them to Peter.

''And that is Peter, my second and my brother.'' 

Scott and Stiles both looked around at Peter, who grinned at them and squeezed Scott's shoulder. Stiles felt Scott go rigid, but he seemed to keep himself under control as he looked back to Talia.

''So Scott, Cora tells me you had an issue today.''

Scott was vaguely pissed off at how Talia sounded like a teacher intervening in a squabble between children, but answered calmly anyway. 

''Yes. I was... Pushed over in the corridor and then I just kind of... Lost it.''

Talia nodded and sat back, seemingly relieved.

''Yes, physical actions can feel like attacks to your wolf, whose instinct would be to retaliate.'' 

Scott didn't seem like he was going to say anything else, so Stiles took over for him, trying to stop his hands from shaking.

''You mentioned last night, and Cora did today- anchors? Could you explain that more please?'' 

Talia started to explain, but Stiles tuned out the beginning of what she was saying because Peter had squeezed  _his_ shoulder. The action felt weirdly like approval, and Stiles almost cricked his neck from refraining from looking up at him. What made in more bizarre, was that Peter didn't remove his hand from Stiles' shoulder. He tried his best to focus on what Talia was saying.

''-your humanity. Often a werewolf's anchor is their pack or family, but it can be other things too. We use them day to day, but they have to most importance on the full moon, which happens to be this Friday. Now it isn't an issue if you  _don't_ find your anchor before Friday, but it would be good for you to try to look. I have something important to attend to, so I'm leaving you in Peter's hands.''

Stiles guessed from her expression that she wasn't completely pleased with this. Scott looked extremely unhappy too, but Stiles gripped his hand and he kept his mouth shut. Talia and Rowan stood up and left the room.

''This'll be fun,'' Cora muttered under her breath.

 

\----

 

''Your hair is stupid.'' 

Stiles and Scott stared at Peter as if he'd just admitted to being a stripper or something equally ridiculous

''Is that really the best you could come up with?'' Stiles shouted incredulously. ''Because I could probably come up with something better while unconscious. How about... You have so little game, that even an inflatable wouldn't do you.''

The insult was aimed at Peter, who raised his eyebrow at the teenager. Cora snorted from behind Stiles on the porch, and Scott looked at Stiles in his very familiar 'you're going to get yourself killed' way.

''How about... Your inadequacy is so strong I can  _taste_ it.''

''You look like the kind of person who gets off on grave robbing.'' 

''You are too unintelligent to succeed at anything.''

''Wow you really favour the hard hitting insults, don't you? Do you eat children for breakfast?''

''Yes, but I do like to mix it up with cereal now and again.''

Stiles couldn't help but grin. ''He banters!'' He called to Cora who snorted again. Scott looked confused now, and he rounded on Peter.

''Um, aren't we supposed to be  _doing_ something?'' Peter turned his attention to Scott.

''Right. As Stiles has proved that my insults have something to be desired, I suppose we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. I'm sorry about this.''

Before Scott could ask what he meant, Peter had lunged at Scott. After about three minutes of Peter beating Scott up, Scott finally lost control and wolfed out. Stiles got a good look at him for the first time, and he noticed that Scott really didn't look  _that_ different. What  _was_ different, was that he was a lot more volatile and angry. Scott was generally a passive guy, but he was far from it now. Peter kept shouting at Scott to think about his family and friends as he kept the younger werewolf at bay, trying to trigger an emotional response in Scott that would bring him back to human, but it wasn't working.

As Peter landed a particularly hard blow on Scott's shoulder that looked like it probably broke something, Stiles couldn't help making a distressed sound, Apparently, that had caught Cora's attention. She called to Peter.

''Come on Peter, it's obviously not working. Lay off him.''

Peter looked at her for a few seconds before pinning Scott. He didn't let Scott up until Scott had calmed down enough to return to human. 

''You okay Scott?'' Stiles asked him.

''Well, I'm not dead.''

Stiles grinned at his friend. ''I'll take it.''

Peter sighed and released Scott, offering him his hand. Scott refused it and stood up by himself. He straightened his clothes, but there was nothing he could do for the blood on them. At least his injuries had already healed. 

''I'm sorry Scott, but there's nothing else I can do for you. You'll just have to search yourself. Examine everything in your life over the next two days, and look for something that brings calm to you.''

Stiles had to admit, it wasn't the best advice, and Scott clearly had _no_ idea what to do. Stiles moved forward and slung an arm around Scott before Scott could say something he would regret.

''Thanks! Scotty, don't you have work soon?''

Scott grumbled but agreed and after saying goodbye to Cora they got back in Stiles' Jeep and drove away. Stiles noticed that Cora and Peter stood on the porch and watched as they drove away, so Stiles stuck an arm out of the window and waved. Peter waved back, Cora didn't.

 

\----

 

 ''What the hell was that, Peter?'' Cora rounded on her uncle, smacking his shoulder. ''The kid was bitten without his consent in the middle of the freaking night, _two_ days ago. I think he needed some care and compassion, not a  _beating_!''

Peter sighed. He knew his niece was right, he could have dealt with the kid better. But he was no good at that kind of stuff. ''I'm sorry, Cor. It won't happen again. I just didn't know what to do with him. The kid clearly doesn't understand how dangerous he is, and he'd not taking all of this seriously.''

Cora nodded in agreement, watching after the blue Jeep and listening to the sound of the clunking engine moved further and further away. ''You're right. I doubt he'll find his anchor before Friday, which means we're going to have to chain him up. Great. At least Stiles seems to have a sensible head on his shoulders. Well, maybe not  _sensible_ , but it seems like he'll be able to keep Scott mostly under control for now.'' 

''That kid  _is_ quite the character. It seems like he'd make an  _excellent_ werewolf. Shame. Anyway, we can't expect you to keep an eye out for those two at all times at school. Maybe we could force Derek to go, he knows the place after all.'' 

''Yeah, _right_. Like Derek would be willing to trail two teenagers around his old high school for three days.''

They gave each other a look as Derek spoke from somewhere inside the house, from where he'd clearly been eavesdropping. ''You're right. I  _don't_ want to do that. Laura's better at crisis management anyway, ask her.'' 

'' _Yeah right_ -'' Cora supplied, ''as if Laura's going to want to do it any more than you are, Der.''

Laura then also joined the conversation from inside the house.

''Yep. I'm not doing it. I have better things to do with the daylight than trail two teenagers.''

''Oh, and I don't?'' Derek asked.

''Hey, look little brother. You're the one who took a gap year to spend time at home with the pack. Make yourself useful.'' Laura told him.

''No.'' He replied.

''Oh for goodness sakes-'' Peter growled, '' _I'll_ do it. Something about the Stilinski boy bothers me anyway. Stop your squabbling.''

Cora grinned at her uncle and walked through the front door, leaving it ajar behind her. 

 

\----

 

''They're insane, Stiles. They're actually all completely insane.''

Scott was vibrating like Stiles off his meds. He gripped the door handle so tightly that the metal creaked in protest.

''Dude, look. They didn't  _have_ to take responsibility for you, but they did. I think beating the crap out of you probably wasn't the best way to handle the situation, but I don't think Peter intended to actually  _hurt_ you, and besides, if you hadn't been turned non-consensually, it probably  _would_ have worked, or at least helped. It's a shitty situation, and we're all just trying to get through. _We've_ never been in a situation like this before, and I suspect the Hales haven't either, so they're just trying to figure out how to deal with it. It's no one's fault, apart from the fuckhead that bit you, and we're all just trying to figure this shit out.''

Stiles was proud of the advice he'd given and was surprised to discover he actually, wholeheartedly believed everything he'd just said. He didn't think it was natural for trust to grow so quickly, but apparently... It had. Scott nodded, reassured once again and looked on at the road.

 

\----

 

Wednesday felt like it came and went in a heartbeat to Stiles. He'd met Scott in the morning and listen to him raving about Allison Argent, the new girl who'd shown up in class the day before, and how she'd come to the animal clinic the previous night, and how Scott had managed to get her to agree to go to a party with him. Stiles had his doubts but was genuinely happy for his friend. That was until he found out that the party was Lydia Martin's, and was taking place  _this_  Friday. A small part of Stiles wanted to congratulate Scott, as losers like them  _never_ got to go to Lydia Martin's parties, but the rest of him wanted to beat Scott with a lacrosse stick.  

''Dude! Are you actually  _insane_?! The full moon's this Friday! You can't go! More importantly, I don't think the Hales will  _let_ you go!''

Scott frowned at Stiles, who realised even before Scott spoke, that he didn't  _get_ it.

''The Hales don't own me. Stiles, I'm going to one of  _Lydia Martin's_ parties, with the  _hottest_ girl in our year! Why can't you just be happy for me?!'' 

Stiles wrestled with guilt. He really  _did_ want to be happy for Scott and would be, in  _any_ other situation. He had two days to talk Scott out of it. If he had to get the Hales involved, he would. He loved Scott, but he wasn't going to let Scott put anyone, including himself, in danger.

''Okay, Scotty.''

And just like that, Scott was happy.

Neither of them noticed Peter Hale walking around on the outskirts of the woods outside of the school.

 

\----

 

It wasn't until Friday morning, that any more issues arose. Neither of them had had any more contact with the Hales, except Stiles had been saying hello to Cora whenever he saw her in the corridors. Scott refused to. Stiles had brought up the party a few more times, but every time, Scott had closed down and gotten defensive again. Stiles hadn't pushed it, not wanting to anger Scott, but he knew it was a problem.

The issue of finding Scott's anchor hadn't gone away either. Scott had been so obsessed about Allison and the party, that Stiles was sure he hadn't thought about it at _all_. Stiles hadn't even been able to bring it up with Scott, who'd changed the subject whenever he'd tried. They were screwed.

On Friday morning Stiles met Scott outside the school, just like every other morning. Except for this time, Scott had looked seriously spooked. He'd dropped his bike and run to Stiles, raving about the woods and the alpha. When Stiles had gotten him to calm down, he'd gotten the full story, about how Scott had woken up in the woods and then seen the alpha. Scott had run away and ended up in some poor guy's pool.

''Don't worry dude, we'll figure this out.' He squeezed Scott's shoulder. They headed into the school. Before going into his first lesson, Stiles pulled his phone out of his pocket and briefly texted Cora, who'd given him her number on Wednesday morning, and instructed him to let her know if anything went wrong. This was the first time he'd contacted her.

 

**> To Cora H.**

**_It's Stiles._ **

**_Scott woke up in the woods this morning._ **

**_Said he saw the alpha._ **

**_He's ok but he's really unsettled._ **

 

**> From Cora H.**

_**Ok.** _

_**I'll let my Mom know.** _

_**Peters been watching the** **school.** _

_**We won't have any issues here.**_

**_>  _To Cora H.  
**

**_Thanks._ **

 

Stiles tucked his phone back into his pocket and followed Scott into the classroom, feeling safer now that he knew Peter was on watch, even if the werewolf creeped him out just a tiny bit. Now he just had to force Scott to get his act together.

\---- 

Scott barrelled into Stiles at lunch with the same wild-eyed look as he'd had this morning. He grabbed handfuls of Stiles' hoodie.

''Dude, what's wrong?'' Stiles asked him and watched as he took a few deep breaths''Dude, Jackson knows something's up! He accused me of being on steroids and asked where I was getting them! Because of Monday!''

Stiles swallowed around the lump in his throat. Jackson was an asshole, but he wasn't _completely_ stupid.

''It'll be fine, Jackson's too far up his own ass to figure anything out.''

Scott nodded, reassured, and released Stiles' clothes. Stiles guessed Jackson wouldn't pose too much of a threat right now but knew that they'd have to deal with him again sometime in the future.

The end of the day came, and Scott was so excited for the party. Stiles felt guilty all over again that he was going to have to ruin Scott's night. _'It's for his own good.'_ He kept reminding himself, but it didn't alleviate the heavy feeling in his chest. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out.

 

**> From Cora H.**

_**Bring Scott to my house.** _

_**My Mom wants to go over plans for tonight.** _

__

**> To Cora H.**

_**That's gonna be a problem.** _

_**Scott's planning on going to a party.** _

_**Like he really won't come with me.** _

_**I've tried to talk him out of it.** _

_**He's not listening.** _

__

**> From Cora H.**

_**Shit.** _

_**Okay, it's cool.** _

_**I'll talk to my Mom.** _

_**Peter should be nearby.** _

_**Call him.** _

_**~Peter Hale~** _

Stiles silently cursed to the sky before saving Peter's contact into his own phone and then calling the number. Scott had gone ahead and Stiles had pretended he needed the toilet and agreed to meet him at the Jeep. Stiles was pretty sure Scott couldn't hear him from here. Peter answered.

_''Hello?''_

_''Peter? It's Stiles, Cora gave me your number.''_

_''Ah, Stiles. To what do I owe the pleasure?''_

_''It's Scott. There's this party tonight, and this girl agreed to go with him. He'd totally head over heels and I've tried to talk him out of it, but he won't listen to me. I don't think he understands how serious this is.''_

Peter hummed down the phone and Stiles guessed he was trying to think of a solution.

_''I don't think there's any way to solve this that Scott that's going to be happy with.''_

_''That's not the priority though, is it? He just has to be safe.''_

_''Yes, you're right. Where are you? Is he with you?''_

_''Sort of. We're in the school parking lot. I told him I was going to the bathroom, he's waiting by my Jeep. Cora told me you'd be nearby?''_

_''Yes, I'm on the other side of the school. I'll be there in two minutes. Do not let him leave, you hear me?''_

_''Loud and clear.''_

Stiles hung up the phone. He paced on the spot for a minute, hoping Peter would be quick. The heavy feeling was building in Stiles' chest, but he knew that all that mattered right now, was that Scott was safe. What if Scott went to the party and accidentally hurt Allison, or someone else? Scott would never forgive himself for that. Stiles knew, that Scott hating him for a while was worlds better than that.

He started heading back towards his car. He caught Scott's attention as he weaved through the cars. He spotted Peter approaching Scott from behind and when he was about ten feet away from Scott, Peter reached him. Stiles couldn't look away as Peter grabbed Scott's head and slammed it against the car next to Stiles', knocking Scott out cold and denting the framework of the car. Stiles winced, but then couldn't hold in a cheer. Peter looked at him like he'd gone mad.

''Dude! That's _Jackson's_ car. As in Jackson Whittemore, the biggest asshole in the school! This is great!''

Peter smiled amusedly.

''Glad to be of service.''

They both sobered as they looked down at Scott on the ground.

''I was hoping this wouldn't have to happen, but since Wednesday, I've been expecting it to,'' Peter told Stiles who agreed.

''My car's over there. Let's go. We can come back for your Jeep later. I wouldn't trust it with my life.''

He grinned at Stiles as he lifted Scott up fireman style over his shoulder. Stiles just hoped no one would notice the three of them, and think they were abducting Scott.

''A _Camaro_? Could you be any more pretentious?'' Stiles asked Peter incredulously.

''Probably,'' Peter answered as he deposited Scott in the back seat. ''I've been thinking of giving it to Laura. She needs a car, and I'm getting a little bored of it.''

Stiles just stared at him, before climbing into the passenger side and cooing over the leather interior.

 

\----

 

They managed to get all the way to the Hale house before Scott woke up. He started tearing up the back seat just after Peter climbed out, and Stiles had to throw himself out, shouting as he did, to prevent from losing his head. Hales came pouring out of the house at Stiles' cry and they all flooded to help Peter wrestle with Scott.

Stiles remained on the ground, watching as Scott thrashed against various holds. It didn't look like Scott was Scott anymore. Someone offered Stiles a hand, and he snapped out of his daze and took it. As he was brushing himself down to get rid of the mud and dirt realised that Derek had been the one to help him up. ''Thanks, Sourwolf.''

Derek watched him with concern. ''Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?''

Stiles shook his head. ''No. Is he going to be okay?''

''Yes. Not tonight, but tomorrow he'll be fine. Cora just came back, she told us that Scott had been going to a party? What was he _thinking?_ ''

''I don't know. He just doesn't seem to get how serious this all is. I tried to talk him out of it, but there's this girl- Shit, Allison! She's going to want to know why he didn't meet her. I need Scott's phone, he has her number.''

Derek looked at him for a second before nodding and heading over towards where Scott was still resisting. Luckily in the mess Scott's phone had found the ground, so Derek just had to scoop it up rather than dig around in Scott's pockets. He walked back to Stiles and handed it to him. Cora and Laura stepped back from the group to stand with them, leaving Scott to the adult werewolves.

Stiles looked through Scott's phone, before finding Allison's number and calling it.

_''Scott? Is everything okay?''_

Stiles then realised he hadn't thought of a lie yet. ''Shit!'' He whispered.

_''Hey Allison, this is Stiles, Scott's friend?''_

_''Hi Stiles, is Scott alight?''_

Stiles gritted his teeth. Normally he was great at talking out of his ass, but on this one, he'd gone completely blank. Laura saved him.

''Asthma attack.'' She whispered to him. Stiles wasn't sure if he or Scott had mentioned to Laura that Scott had had asthma, but then Stiles guessed the Hales had researched the new werewolf they had taken under their wing. He shouldn't be thinking about his right now.

_''Uh yeah. It's just that, well he's not going to be able to make the party tonight.''_

_''Oh.''_

Stiles realised how bad that had sounded and how upset and disappointed she sounded and scrambled to fix it. He refused to be responsible for ruining this for Scott.

_''Yeah, it's just that, well he had this really bad asthma attack, worse than he's had_ _for years. If his Mom wasn't a nurse he would have been in the hospital, and he's okay now but he still can't breathe a hundred percent and his Mom doesn't want him to do anything for a day or two in case he sets himself off again. He asked me to call you.''_

_''Oh.''_

She sounded relieved and Stiles silently cheered. He then winced as he heard a body hit the ground, and looked over to see someone had finally gotten Scott unconscious again.

_''And he asked me to tell you that he's really sorry and he's really hoping you'll let him make it up to you, and don't tell him I told you this but he's really upset that he had to miss it. Between you and me, I think he's really into you, he's been going on about this party all week.''_

Stiles could practically _hear_ her blush. Crisis averted.

_''Well thanks Stiles. Tell him I'm looking forward to him making it up to me, and that's it all okay. I'll see him next week. And between you and me Stiles? I really like him too.''_

She hung up before he could respond. Stiles practically collapsed.

''Thank you _so_ much.'' He told Laura. ''You totally saved my and Scott's asses.''

She grinned at him. ''No problem. That was impressive lying.''

''Sure. My Dad's the Sheriff, so it's a habit I picked up.''

She just grinned at him. Talia then broke away from the other group and approached him, looking grateful.

''Thank you for what you did Stiles. I'm sorry you had to give up your friend like that.''

Stiles shrugged. ''As long as he's safe, he can hate me later.''

She squeezed his shoulder and walked back to where Peter had Scott over his shoulder again. The Hales all filed back into the house, taking Scott with them. A woman Stiles didn't recognise stayed behind and came up to him. What Stiles noticed first, was that she was _very_ pregnant. He tried not to stare. She was beautiful, with long black hair and blue eyes that fit in well with the Hale clan.

''Hi, Stiles right? I'm Samantha, Peter's wife. I just wanted to say that what you did was very brave.''

She sighed and looked on at the house, looking slightly sad.

''My husband didn't enjoy what he had to do, but it's best that he did, or that boy wouldn't be safe. Thank you for letting him help you, I know many people that wouldn't have been able to do what you did.''

''It wasn't a big deal.''

She smiled at him. ''Of course not. Come on then.'' She led him into the house. Stiles was expecting to follow her into the living room he was growing used to, and although Cora, Laura and Derek were sat in there and looked up as he entered, Samantha gestured for Stiles to follow her deeper into the house. They walked down a long corridor and Stiles caught a glimpse of a large kitchen and dining room, and what he assumed was a study, before they came to a set of stairs that led down. Samantha led him down them, and he followed.

They emerged in a dark basement. Once Stiles' eyes adjusted to the lower level of light, he shuddered at what he saw. There were three cages along one wall which contained wall mounted shackles. In the one furthest from Stiles, Talia was currently chaining up Scott. Rowan and Peter stood behind her, looking grim. Peter turned when he heard their entrance. He walked over, kissed his wife on the cheek, and then slung an arm around Stiles' shoulders.

''It's horrible. We've all done it, plenty of times, but it's still always... _Crap.''_

Peter watched Stiles amusedly out of the corner of his eye as his sister chained the new beta to the wall. He knew Stiles hadn't realized it yet, but the human boy was taking to the pack faster than the actual werewolf. Of course humans could still have pack instincts, but usually they took years to grow if the human wasn't with the pack since birth. Like Samantha, who'd not scent marked Peter _once_ for the first four years they were together, even after she found out what he was. 

Stiles had known about werewolves for four days, and he'd picked up the pack instincts already. Maybe they'd always been there, and Stiles had always been meant for pack life. Anyway, Peter watched him with curiosity as he kept his arm at an awkward angle behind Peter's back, obviously not knowing what to do with himself. As Talia worked, Stiles subconsciously moved his arm. Peter was still wearing his jacket, not having had chance to remove it yet, and after a few minutes Stiles ended up with a couple of fingers hooked in the back of Peter's collar, his arm against Peter's back. Peter recognized scent marking when he saw it, but he knew that Stiles didn't. Even his nieces and nephew didn't scent mark him often with such familiarity, and Stiles had known him all of three days. 

There was something unusual about Stiles. Peter was aware that his mother had been friends with Talia, but he wasn't aware that she was anything more than human. He made a mental note to ask Talia about him later, but for now just watched, trying not to grin as Stiles blatantly scent marked him without even noticing. Samantha had noticed the Stiles' subconscious actions and was stifling a smile. Stiles stayed in the same position until Talia had stepped out of the cage that Scott was now shackled inside. Stiles moved away from Peter and went to Talia.

''What do we do now?''

Peter noticed  _that_ too. Stiles already had Talia registered at authority in his head, picking up on the instinct to follow the alpha. Peter didn't understand it. Stiles wasn't a werewolf, and even if he  _had_ been, bitten betas still took weeks to be fully indoctrinated to pack instinct and dynamics. Stiles truly was something bizarre.

''The moon will be at it's peak in six and a half hours, which is when he will have the most issues.'' She rubbed her hands over her face and through her hair. ''This is a problem however, because usually the whole pack runs together under the moon, usually with the exception of the humans. Tonight, one of us will have to stay behind to watch over him, which makes the run... Less fulfilling.''

Stiles considered this for a moment.

''Couldn't _I_ just stay with him? I mean, it doesn't look like he's getting out of there anytime soon, and I can always, I don't know, call for help if things go south.''

Talia looked at him doubtfully. Peter was confident that Stiles would be fine, but this was his sister's choice, so for once he stayed out of it. Stiles looked imploringly up at the alpha. Talia caved and agreed.

''Fine. But you are under  _no_ circumstances to release him, no matter how much be begs and pleads. Not if he tells you he's in pain or even dying. Not if he threatens you. Not if he cries. Not if he shouts. And if  _anything_ goes wrong, or looks like it might go wrong, you scream for help, and you keep screaming until it finds you. Understand?''

They all saw the steely determination in Stiles' eyes. 

''Yes.''

 

\---- 

 

Stiles was sat with his back against the bars of the cage, phone in hand when Scott came around. Scott didn't wake up violently like he had before, and Stiles guessed it was because he was the only person in the room, so Scott didn't feel threatened. Stiles scooted closer to the cage and watched Scott through the bars.

''Stiles? What's going on.''

Stiles just watched Scott, waiting for him to explode. Scott was speaking in the sweet voice he usually saved for distressed animals at the clinic, but right now it was barely concealing his anger.

''Stiles. Why am I chained up?''

''It's for your own good, Scotty.''

Scott raised an eyebrow at Stiles, and it made Stiles cringe because it just  _wasn't_   _Scott._  

''My own good? How it be for my own good to be CHAINED TO A WALL?!'' 

''Think about Allison, Scott. What if you'd hurt her? This is the only way to keep everyone safe.''

The thought of Allison seemed to calm Scott down momentarily, but then he was screaming again. ''Allison! Are you trying to keep her from me? Are you  _jealous_ that I finally got some attention, and you didn't?!''

''Wow Scott, the moon's really turning you into an asshole, huh?'' 

Scott didn't answer, but instead snarled and shouted and pulled against his chains. Stiles could see that his wrists were raw and looked ready to bleed, so Stiles turned and sat with his back against the bars, listening to Scott scream with his head in his hands.

He listened to Scott for three hours, switching between playing games on his phone and trying to talk Scott down. Eventually his stupor was broken by Laura's voice.

''Stiles?''

He pulled himself up with the bars of the cage and stretched his legs and back before walking over to her in order to hear what she was saying over Scott's shouting. As he howled particularly loud, they both winced. 

''I'm sorry to leave you with this. We're going now. To run.''

Stiles shrugged, unsure of how else to respond and a second later Laura wrapped him up in a hug. Stiles patted her on the back and gave her a small smile when she pulled away. She ascended the steps and left Stiles alone in the dark.

 

\----

 

Some five hours after Scott had woken up inside the cage, he stopped screaming. It took Stiles a while to notice, as he'd been drifting in and out of sleep for the last hour, but finally he realised and moved to the front of the cage. He pressed his forehead against the bars and looked at Scott.

''Stiles?'' Scott's voice was raw and sounded like sandpaper from the screaming.

''Yeah, Scotty?''

''I'm sorry.''

Stiles felt like his organs were being ripped apart as he watched Scott well up. Tears ran down Scott's cheeks. He looked like shit; his eyes were ringed with red and he looked like he hadn't slept in a month.

''I know.''

''I don't know what came over me, but whatever it was, it's gone.''

Stiles watched Scott. The werewolf was slumped in an exhausted kind of way and his eyelids were drooping. Stiles checked the time on his phone. It was after the time that Talia had said the moon would peak, so he thought that maybe the effects of the moon had worn off.

''Stiles? My hands hurt.''

Scott's wrists had started bleeding into his sleeves a while ago as he pulled desperately at his manacles. Despite what Talia had told him, even though he  _knew_ he shouldn't do it, Stiles pulled the heavy key out of his pocket, and opened the door. He didn't open Scott's manacles, which he didn't have the key to anyway, but sat just out of Scott's reach. For a long moment they watched each other, both exhausted and ready for the night to be over. But for Scott, the night was now beginning.

Stiles should have  _known_ , and maybe deep down he did but didn't pay attention to it. Scott pulled the chains out of the wall with his loudest snarl yet. Stiles was left, sitting cross-legged and staring at the empty wall. Scott was gone.

Scott was gone, and Stiles had to fix it. It took him fifteen seconds to get up. As soon as he did, he started running. He flew up the steps and through the house, ignoring the people standing around the open front door. He ran through them and out into the night. He had no idea in which direction Scott had gone, so he just picked one and ran into the trees. He didn't know where on the preserve the other Hales where, but he knew he had to find Scott before they did.

Not far into the trees he ran out of light. The light from the house had dimmed out of existence and the moon didn't provide enough light for him to watch where he was going. He lit up the torch on his phone and kept moving.

Five minutes later and Stiles had seen no sign of Scott and had no idea  _where_ he was. What scared Stiles the most, was that this was pretty much a repeat of what had happened to Scott, and this time it was  _guaranteed_  that there were werewolves out in the woods. He stopped, listening for footsteps, or  _anything_ , and heard voices. When he saw the light of flashlights, he swore and scrambled to stop the beam of light coming from his phone. He pressed his back into a tree and listened.

He assumed it was the Sheriff's department again, but then he heard the name Chris, and there was no one in the department called Chris. He peered around the trees as the group drew closer. There were... Three of them, and they were holding weird objects that Stiles couldn't quite make out- Crossbows, he realized. ' _Oh my fucking god, what the fuck?!'_  He hissed to himself.

That was when Stiles spotted Scott. He was stumbling through the trees, shifted and seemingly unaware of his surroundings. Stiles managed to move a few trees closer to Scott without the men seeing him, but Scott was drawing closer and not inconspicuously.

''Scott!'' Stiles hissed, but Scott was too out of it. Stiles knew the exact moment that the men spotted Scott, because he was suddenly the focus of three beams of light.  _That_ seemed to get Scott's attention and he looked up, confused and growling. Stiles looked at the men, still not having been spotted, and they all had their crossbows aimed at Scott. But from what Stiles could see, none of them looked shocked or afraid at all.

Stiles had no idea what the fuck was going on, but then Scott roared and he looked over to see Scott pinned to a tree with a  _crossbow bolt_ stuck in his fucking arm. Stiles started running towards Scott at the same time he noticed a wolfed out Derek Hale running in their direction. Stiles somehow managed to not get hit by the next two bolts that came in their direction, and arrived next to Scott, pulling him away from the tree with one hand and ripping the bolt out with his other hand. Scott however, wasn't having any of it. With his eyes still dark and inhuman, Scott snapped and snarled at Stiles, almost taking his hand off in the process.

Stiles leapt back with a shriek, but Scott was descending on him. Stiles felt a flash of panic and flung his hands out in front of him towards Scott. 

''STOP!''

Stiles' voice went much louder than he had expected and heat flashed through him, passing over his vision and making him lose a couple of seconds. When his vision cleared, Scott was sitting on the ground, his face back to human and twisted in confusion. Stiles grabbed his arm and pulled him up, all too aware of the men nearby pursuing them. Stiles didn't stop to think about whatever the hell had just happened.

Scott seemed to have come back to himself, meaning Stiles didn't have to drag him along and they sprinted away in the direction Scott had come. 

Stiles looked back when he heard Derek roar, and saw the men reloading their crossbows as Derek ran around them. The sound of more bolts being fired led to Derek being right behind them, calling for them to run faster. Stiles was almost left behind by Scott and Derek's supernatural speed, but Derek grabbed him by the bicep and dragged him along. 

By the time Stiles felt like he was going to pass out from exhaustion and/or oxygen deprevation, they'd outrun the men. All three of them collapsed in the woods, gasping, Stiles more than Scott and Derek. Stiles rolled onto his back to help his lungs open up more, and gasped out a few words between breaths.

''What- the fuck- was that?!'' 

Derek eventually answered him.

''Hunters. Werewolf hunters.''

Stiles and Derek both watched as Scott fussed over his wound, only to see it patch over and vanish. Once the adrenaline and panic had worn of, Derek seemed to come to his senses.

''What the _fuck_ are you two doing out here?!'' 

Stiles and Scott both sat up and glanced at each other.

''It's my fault.'' 

They both said at the same time which only served to piss Derek off more. They both started talking again, and Derek commanded Scott to speak first.

''I don't really remember what happened. I remember screaming and being chained up and going out of my mind. The next I remember was stumbling about in the woods and being shot with a crossbow. Then there was this loud noise and my head was clear again.'' 

Derek frowned at him. ''That sounds right, with the moon being out, but what brought you back?''

Scott shrugged and gestured at Stiles with a flick of his head. Stiles was staring down at his hands, wonder, confusion and a bit of fear overloading his system. It took Scott's grip on his arm before he even noticed the two werewolves saying his name.

''Sorry, what?''

''What happened?'' Derek asked him a little more softly.

''I- I was an idiot. Scott over here was doing the old puppy eyes, getting all upset and saying that it was all over and the moon wasn't affecting him anymore. And hello, number one chump over here believed his lying ass. I didn't let him go, but I opened to door to sit in there with him and he ripped his chain off of the wall and left me there. I followed him into the woods but lost him, and didn't see him again until those men- those  _hunters_ showed up. I ripped that bolt out of his arm but he tried to attack me, and... I don't really know what happened next. I remember shouting at him, but I sort of blacked out for a couple of seconds. We just ran.''

Derek nodded, but was still frowning at Stiles. ''I heard you shout. I have no idea what that could've been though.'' Then Derek seemed to realize his anger again. He didn't even seem to care that Stiles had effectively let Scott out, just that he'd followed him.

''You  _followed_ him? Into the woods? The woods in which you were  _fully_ aware were full of werewolves, possibly including the rogue alpha who has absolutely  _no_ issues with biting innocent teenagers? Are you  _insane?!_ '' 

Stiles was exhausted and couldn't bring himself to argue with Derek. He sighed.

''Quite possibly. I didn't think about the alpha or the danger. I just had to make sure Scott was safe. It was my fault he got out.''

Derek rubbed his hands over his face and growled to himself, then shook his head. ''Werewolves can be very persuasive when they get desperate. The best of us have fallen for it.''

The three of them were silent for several minutes after that, before werewolves started streaming out of the underbrush.

There were also  _actual_ wolves with them, whom Stiles assumed  _were_ werewolves, as some of the group was notably missing. Talia led the group, her face shifted into one of rage, which Stiles guessed was largely worry for her son.

She assessed the situation, seeing Scott and Stiles slumped over on the ground and the blood on Scott, and then started shouting. Peter was standing at her right shoulder in his human form and the wolf on Talia's left was lean and dark so Stiles guessed it was Rowan. Two wolves that looked very similar stood a small ways back, one slightly larger than the other, that Stiles guessed to be Laura and Cora. There were also three other adult wolves and two cubs behind Talia and Peter, which Stiles assumed were Hales that they hadn't been introduced to yet.

''What happened? Why are you two out here? Are you  _insane?_ You could have been  _seriously_ injured! Derek, you shouldn't have gone off alone, the alpha could be out here!''

It was Derek that spoke up first of the three of them. ''We're okay Mom. We didn't run into the alpha. It's not their fault they're out here. We ran into hunters- Don't worry, we lost them about a mile back.''

Talia's anger didn't seemed to be directed at them anymore. '' _Hunters?_  Did any of you get hit? Are you  _sure_ they didn't follow you?''

Stiles found his voice. ''Scott was shot with a crossbow bolt, but it's healed up. We definitely lost them, thanks to Derek. He threw them off enough for me and Scott to run.''

''Tell me  _exactly_ what happened.'' She told Stiles. With Scott and Derek's help on some of the details, Stiles repeated the story he'd told before to Derek. Talia didn't look any less worried or angry. She considered what the three of them had said for a long minute.

''Okay. Stiles, you shouldn't have followed Scott out here under  _any_ circumstances, but I'm glad you're okay. We'll deal with the hunters later. And I'm not the expert, but from what you've told me, Stiles, that sounds like  _magic.''_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback and comments are massively appreciated, and thank you so much for reading!


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More victims of the alpha show up, and Deaton reveals his secret.

Stiles and Scott slept at the Hale house that night. It was too late, or rather too early for them to return home, and Talia felt more comfortable having the two boys where she could keep an eye on them. They'd both been through a lot and she suspected being with the pack would help smooth over the events of the night.

The two of them fell asleep on the couches in the front room. Most of the pack was a little unsettled by having them in the house, but they all agreed it was for the best. Talia knew she had made a mistake by letting the new beta out of her sight so close to the full moon, and she wasn't about to make the same mistake again.

She walked past the entrance of the room now and again, keeping an eye on the two boys. Scott stayed propped up watching Stiles until he fell asleep, before letting himself succumb to his exhaustion.

Peter met Talia at the top of the stairs as she finally went up to sleep. ''I'll take Stilinski tomorrow to pick up his car from the school lot.''

Talia nodded in agreement and crossed her arms, leaning against the bannister to converse with her brother. ''Thank you. I just hope he doesn't have any issues with his father, or Scott his mother.''

Peter considered this. ''Hm. Those two strike me as the types to be able to lie their way out of such trouble.''

''Tonight did not go well Pete. I suppose it's the alpha that's brought the hunters in. We're going to have a problem, soon, if we don't catch it now. Derek, Scott and Stiles could have been killed tonight. The hunters would've happily taken out Derek and Scott and they wouldn't have bothered to check if Stiles was human or otherwise. They must know we're here and we need to be careful.''

''We'll have to keep the two of them here over the weekend. It's probably the safest place for them if the hunters saw who they were.''

''Is it though? They wouldn't have seen what Scott looked like Human, and Stiles said they didn't see his face. Maybe they'll be safer if they're not here.''

They both felt uncomfortable at the thought. No matter how new Stiles and Scott were to the pack, the instinct was already the there to keep them close, to keep them safe.

''McCall still has to be taught.'' Peter reasoned. ''And we need to take Stilinski to Deaton. Find out what he is.''

Talia nodded in agreement. ''We should take him to Deaton, but I can probably guess what he is. Claudia, his mother was from Poland. She came to me when she first moved to Beacon Hills, to unofficially ask my permission to live here. She told me what she was, and she told me that she was having a son. We became close friends in her first years here and Stiles as a young boy sometimes spent time with Cora, Laura and Derek; they were all too young to remember it now. One day Claudia told me about how her clan in Poland were often in danger from hunters. She told me that that was why she ended up in America, and she feared that one day she might be hunted here too. She asked me that should anything happen to her, I would take care of her son. I accepted, of course, she was my friend and Stiles was a wonderful boy, and Laura, Cora and Derek loved him too.''

Peter listened to this story with growing curiosity. ''She died, didn't she? When Stiles was nine?''

''Yes. Turns out it wasn't the hunters. It wasn't because of her heritage or her past. She died of frontotemporal dementia. A human disease. Left her son and husband behind. I've watched over them these last seven years, made sure they could always pay the bills and that Stiles didn't get kicked out of school a couple of times. She told me that she didn't think Stiles was like her, but now he's presented. She explained to me how it would happen, just in case it ever did. She said it would most likely happen if he was in danger, if his life was threatened. Now it has. Deaton may have insight and be able to help, but I wish she was here. That poor boy.''

She wiped her nose and sniffed, looking at the ceiling and blinking rapidly.

''What is he?'' Peter asked, completely enthralled by his sister's knowledge.

''She always used to say this ridiculous Polish word that I could never wrap my tongue around. She'd say, 'but you could call it a spark'. It's... Magic, of a sort. Her clan were powerful people. Human, but also... More than human. One or two strays of her kind over the years and hunters starting hunting them. Sometimes taking them alive, using their abilities to wipe out entire packs. Her whole clan was wiped out in a similar way. She was the only one left.''

''Sparks, of  _course._ I should've known.'' Then Peter finally saw what Talia feared. ''The hunters. Your think they'll try to take him?''

She sighed. ''I don't think they know about him yet. I'm not sure if they saw what he did tonight. If they did, well we have to protect his identity at all costs. Stiles is strong but hunters are cruel, and they are often corrupted. We cannot allow them to find him.''

Peter ran his fingers through his hair and rested his hands on the back of his head, processing this information. ''That poor kid. We need to find the alpha and get the hunters off our backs. Wait- If this kid has such large potential-''

''No!'' She snarled at him and he paled in surprise. ''We will not use that boy as a weapon!'' He held up his hands in surrender.

''Sorry. Sorry, it was just a thought. This whole situation is fucked up.''

''Yes. It is.''

 

\----

 

Stiles woke up with the worst headache of his life. Then he realised he was somewhere other than his or Scott's bed. He looked up to investigate and in doing so tipped himself off of the couch he was lying on. He groaned and curled in on his ribs, which he'd just smashed on the floor.

He heard snickering and looked up, blinking away his sleep haze. Laura and Derek stood in the doorway watching him. He stuck a middle finger in their direction and scooted towards Scott. He pulled on Scott's arm until he woke up and blinked blearily at Stiles.

''Breakfast is in ten minutes. After that Peter's going to take Stiles to get his Jeep.'' Both Stiles and Scott looked up more brightly when Laura mentioned breakfast.

''Will there be eggs?''

''Yes Stiles, there will be eggs.''

Stiles was all the more willing to get up after that. He and Scott followed the corridor round into the kitchen. The long room was both a kitchen and a dining room with a long wooden table taking up just under half of the space. It was full of noise that hit Stiles all at once. This was the first time he came across the Hale clan as a whole and while it was slightly overwhelming, he loved it. He'd always dreamed of having a large family, and while he wasn't quite part of this one, just experiencing the atmosphere was enough.

Laura and Rowan were sitting opposite each other at the long table, arguing about something with a newspaper and two coffees between them. Cora sat just down from Laura on her phone again. There were a couple and a child that Stiles recognised but was not familiar with at the other end of the table. Talia and Samantha were sat on one of the kitchen counters talking to Peter and watching over his shoulder as he cooked something on the stove. Derek was pushing mug after mug into the coffee machine and had at least seven on the counter in front of him. There were two more Hales standing over the other stoves and another child doing something behind their feet.

It was so loud.

Laura spotted the two of them standing in the doorway and gestured to the seats beside her. Stiles took the one on her right and Scott the one on Stiles' right. Laura and Rowan seemed to forgo their argument and instead involved Scott and Stiles in conversation.

''So boys,'' Rowan asked them. ''Did you both sleep well?'' Scott seemed reluctant to answer but Stiles was more than happy to.

''Surprisingly, yes. Last night was pretty trying, so I suppose we needed it.'' Scott nodded in agreement. Before anything else could be said, Laura reached over and grabbed Stiles' hand and held it out across the table. As Stiles was about to ask what she was doing, a mug collided with his hand. Laura let his hand go and he instinctually curled his fingers around the cup. A second white mug slid past Stiles and made contact with Scott's hand. Stiles looked along the table as he pulled to drink to his lips and saw Derek turning back to the rest of the mugs on the counter.

Stiles didn't know how Derek knew how he took his coffee, or if he knew that giving Stiles coffee was probably a terrible idea, but Derek made great coffee. He moaned in appreciation and Scott mirrored the sound. Laura and Rowan both caught second cups and slid their empty ones up the table to Derek, who scooped them up and dumped them in the sink next to Peter.

Derek then starting placing the rest of the mugs on the table, and Stiles wondered how he knew where to put them. Over in the kitchen, Talia was pulling stacks of plates out of a cupboard and placing them on the counter next to Samantha. Whatever Peter was cooking was apparently ready, as he started emptying the pan he was holding onto the plates, and then moving onto the second pan he's been standing over. Somehow Peter hadn't appeared to Stiles as someone who cooked, but Peter seemed to be flourishing in the kitchen.

The other two Hales in the kitchen moved along the long row of plates, dishing up whatever they'd been cooking as Talia and Peter started pulling cutlery out of drawers. They all started placing plates down the long table, and it was Derek that put Stiles and Scott's plates in front of them.

Laura snickered as Stiles' stomach growled in appreciation and Peter handed him a knife and fork with a wink.

Stiles glanced at Scott. Scott looked thrown, clearly unsure of how to fit into the scene around him. Stiles clapped him on the shoulder and turned his attention to his bacon. Talia sat on Rowan's right and Derek sat on his father's left, opposite Stiles. When everyone was sat down, Stiles looked down the table and counted six empty seats, which was impressive considering the size of the group. He'd underestimated the size of the room, and he was curious as to where the Hales got such a massive table.

The whole thing was so domestic, and Stiles wanted to be part of this, every day for the rest of his life.

Derek found Stiles' awed expression amusing and adorable. Then wondered when the hell he'd started to think Stilinski was adorable.

He'd seen the look before, when new people had joined the family through his uncles, and it never got old. Stiles looked along the table taking in the scene, and Derek felt a pang in his chest when he realised that Stiles belonged there. There had been eight empty seats before Scott and Stiles' arrival. The pack had all questioned their alpha's decision to buy a table so much bigger than what they needed, with so many extra seats. They didn't have any plans to expand the pack, so they hadn't understood why they needed so much extra space. When asked, Talia had smiled conspiratorially in the way she often did and had just said, ''You never know when we might need the extra room.''. They'd all realised that they wouldn't get anything more from her, and had just gotten over the ridiculously large table.

Now Scott and Stiles were here, filling more of the empty spaces. Derek thought back to one of the pack's recent conversations about the rogue alpha. His mother and Peter had both said that they expected to take in several new werewolves before resolving the issue of the alpha, and now Scott and Stiles were filling some of the spaces. Derek eyed the other six spaces and wondered if his mother could possibly know more than she was letting on.

When Derek tuned back in, everyone had broken off into small conversations; Talia and Peter were discussing taking Stiles to Deaton in low tones as Rowan listened; Scott and Stiles were discussing Lacrosse as Laura dropped in comments here and there and Cora dissed the sport; Samantha had struck up conversation with his other aunts, something to do with children as was a popular topic these days, what with Samantha ready to pop at any second, and his other uncles were discussing the previous night's events.

It wasn't until a moment later that Derek realised Laura was roping him into the Lacrosse discussion.

''What?''

All of them except Scott rolled their eyes. Stiles supplied an answer, which was also a question. ''Lacrosse. Hardcore or 'a pussy's game'?'' Stiles said the second option with accompanied air quotation marks while scowling at Cora. Derek wasn't surprised, Cora would think that.

''I don't know, I didn't play Lacrosse at school. I guess it is full contact, so it must be difficult.''

Stiles blinked, not having heard Derek say so many words at once before that didn't include a threat, and Laura was beaming at him, which he promptly ignored.

''Se I told you!'' Stiles yelled at Cora, who began hissing back just as venomously. Derek saw Scott staying firmly out of the argument, picking at his plate. Derek knew the new beta didn't fit in yet, but he was sure Scott would find his place.

 

\----

 

Breakfast ended with a smashed plate, courtesy of Stiles and Cora's argument. Cora was placed on dishes duty and shouted to Stiles that he'd be on the rota soon enough. Stiles answered with a smirk. The pack disbanded and spread through the house. Derek skulked on the edge of the living room where Scott and Stiles were.

Eventually, Peter showed up and stood next to Derek. ''Stilinski, we're going to get your rust bucket.'' Derek watched as Stiles flailed in outrage.

''Rust Bucket?! I'll have you know Roscoe is in her prime!''

While Peter poked fun at Stiles, Derek slipped past his uncle and out of the house into the forest. He knew it was risky, what with hunters and the alpha around, but he needed the space.

Stiles got into Peter's car for the second time, without bitching this time. If putting up with one more car journey meant that Peter wouldn't have to drive him around again, he was all for it. He stayed mostly quiet throughout the short journey, snorting when Peter started humming along to some pop song on the radio. As they pulled into the school parking lot, Peter turned his attention to him.

''Just so you know, Talia wants to take you to Deaton later, get this whole magic thing sorted out.''

Stiles eyed him with suspicion. ''Deaton? As in the vet?''

''Yes,'' Peter replied with a grin that set Stiles on edge. ''The vet. He's not just a vet.'' Once again Peter had managed to answer without answering and Stiles was left more frustrated than before. He jumped out of the Camaro before Peter had completely stopped and marched over to his car, waving his fingers in Peter's direction and then climbing up into his front seat.

The Jeep rumbled to life with only a few horrifying clunking noises coming from the engine, which Stiles considered a win as there wasn't any smoke this time. He pulled out in front of the Camaro to leave the lot, coming painfully close to scraping the paint job, which he wished he had succeeded in doing, just to see Peter get mad.

A couple of times on the way back the two of them fought to be in front of the other, and Peter was victorious as they pulled up outside the Hale house again. He started shouting at Peter as they both climbed out of their cars, no heat behind his words. Peter laughed as Stiles cursed his name, jeering at the older man while trying not to laugh himself. A few seconds later he was distracted by a movement to his right. For a second he was struck with fear, thinking that the alpha had found them, but when the wolf came into view he knew it wasn't the alpha.

It was completely black with startling blue eyes, and Stiles wanted to pull his fingers through its fur. He was awestruck, watching as the wolf slowly approached them, eyeing them both.

''Dear nephew, what are you sulking around for?''

Stiles didn't spare Peter even a glance, now wanting to miss a second of Derek's full shift. He'd stopped breathing, but couldn't bring himself to start again. Derek's wolf form was beautiful. Peter threw a smile in Stiles' direction, hearing his heart race, and then walked with Derek to the house in order to open the door for him. Stiles watched after him, dazed.

''Dude!'' Scott ran from the porch towards Stiles. ''You're back!'' Stiles watched Scott in surprise as his best friend barrelled into him, pulling him into a hug. Scott pulled away after a second, looking sheepish and rubbing the back of his head. ''Sorry. This place is just putting me a bit on edge.''

'Well, Scotty boy,'' Stiles told him, clapping him on the shoulder as they headed to the house, ''you're gonna have to get used to it.''

They sat in the front room for a while, briefly talking to Laura and Cora who drifted in and out. Eventually, Talia and Peter found them.

''We're rolling out, kids,'' Peter told them cheerfully, and Stiles and Talia rolled their eyes at the same time, and then made eye contact and grinned.

''Scott, am I right in saying you have a shift at the veterinary clinic soon?'' Scott nodded in agreement. ''Right. The four of us can go together and the three of us,'' she gestured to herself, Peter and Stiles. ''can have our discussion while you do your work.''

Scott kept nodding, apparently not questioning the fact that his boss, the vet, was apparently the authority on things supernatural and otherwise, but Stiles was still doubtful.

''So, please confirm this for me. Alan Deaton, Scott's boss, the vet, can somehow tell us whether or not I'm something supernatural?''

Peter and Talia both watched him rant with eyebrows raised in identical expressions. It was Peter that answered him. ''Stilinski, in this last week you should have learned nothing, if not that things are often not what they seem.''

Stiles had to admit, Peter was right. He dropped his shoulders, feeling his defensive irritation drain away. ''Okay.'' He nodded. ''Okay.''

 

\----

 

Stiles parked his beat-up Jeep next to Peter's flashy Camaro for the second time that morning, and couldn't help scowling at the flashy car as he turned off his engine. He followed Scott through the doors and into the clinic, where Peter and Talia had already arrived. They walked through the doors into the small lobby. Scott grabbed the gate to pull it open... And couldn't.

''What the hell?'' Scott pulled on the gate but it wouldn't budge. Stiles frowned and leant past Scott, opening the gate with barely a push. He and Scott looked at each other confusedly, but move through into the back room of the clinic. Talia, Peter and Rowan were stood together at the end of the room. Stiles barely said, ''What was-'' before Deaton moved around the metal table towards them.

''Mountain ash. It acts as a barrier to supernatural beings. Stiles, you could open it because you're not supernatural.''

While this didn't seem to surprise Talia and Peter, Stiles blanched.

''I'm... Not?''

''No,'' Deaton told him, completely stoic as usual. He then turned his attention to Scott. ''Scott, Mrs Dawson's dachshund will be waking up from surgery in about five minutes.'' Scott nodded without saying a word and slipped away behind Stiles through a door into the back. Peter started snickering at the same time as several dogs started barking from the back room. Deaton ignored this and moved back over to Talia and Peter.

Stiles pulled himself up onto the metal table and sat, swinging his legs and waiting for... Something. Nothing but meaningful glances passed between the adults for a few seconds, before Peter leant back on one of the counters and watched Deaton expectantly. The vet looked to Talia who nodded and then turned to Stiles.

''Stiles, good to see you. How is your father?''

Stiles looked at Deaton blankly. ''Uh... Yeah, he's fine.''

''Good. I assume you want answers?''

''Yeah.''

''Please, tell me what happened,''

Stiles explained the events of the night for the third time, his brain on autopilot, omitting the details of how they'd ended up there in the first place.

''-And then the rest of the pack found us.''

Deaton listened, rapt. He nodded when Stiles finished and hummed thoughtfully. Stiles pulled his legs up under him as he waited for Deaton to share his thoughts.

''I believe you're a spark.''

''What does that mean?''

''A spark is someone who has the potential to use magic, though just how greatly varies. So long as you stay out of trouble, I can't imagine you'll have any immediate problems, but it is important that you try not to trigger it again, lest some more dangerous power is revealed.'' 

 

Magic. The thought sent a thrill through Stiles. At first, he imagined himself wielding Harry Potter levels of power but reigned himself in, and he instead pictured himself dancing around a campfire naked on the solstice. He supposed neither was realistic. He felt slightly light headed, not really able to process what he was being told.

''What do I do now?''

It was then that Talia stepped in, and Stiles had forgotten she was there until now.

''You go home. Sleep. Rest. See your father. Deaton has offered to take you on as a... protégé of sorts.''

''I want to see you here after School on Monday. Try not to get in trouble between now and then.''

Stiles grinned, not making any promises.

It was then that Scott came barreling through the door to the back room, eyes glowing yellow, mouth full of sharp teeth, and a tiny dachshund at his feet. The dog game trotting into the room as Scott moved through the room, not paying attention to any of them and heading towards the front of the clinic. He came to the mountain ash barrier and found himself stuck.

''Scott, what are you doing?'' Talia asked as Stiles hopped down from the metal table. Scott looked at them but his eyes were unfocused, his mind somewhere else.

''I- I have to go... I have to-'' Scott shook his head, snarling and rubbing his clawed hands across his face. He pushed against the barrier again, putting his whole weight into it but not getting anywhere.'

''Stiles, don't-'' Talia warned him as he marched over to Scott and opened the gate, clapping Scott on the shoulder as he ran through the front of the clinic and out onto the street, fully shifted in the middle of the day.

''Way to go, Stilinski,'' Peter yelled after him, but he wasn't listening and was instead following Scott out onto the street. He saw Scott disappearing around the corner and climbed up into his Jeep. He spotted Talia and Peter as they ran out of the clinic, in his rearview mirror as he pulled away but didn't look back again.

Scott tore across the road and then ran alongside it, coming in and out of view as Stiles followed.

On several occasions over the next five minutes, Stiles was forced to race down back streets and turn sharp corners to continue following Scott. When he watched Scott streak over a fence and into the graveyard, darting between headstones, he jumped out of the Jeep, not even bothering to turn off the engine. He vaulted the fence and followed Scott, well aware that he wouldn't be able to catch up with him.

He could see that Scott had stopped a ways in front of him and pushed himself further, surprised that he hadn't tripped over anything. At the sound of an engine behind him, he looked over his shoulder and saw Peter and Talia climb out of the Camaro and start to follow.

He stopped beside Scott a few seconds later, bending over to rest his hands on his knees and gasping. ''Dude! What the fuck?''

He asked, but Scott wasn't listening. His features had melted back to human and he was staring down into the open grave in front of him. When Stiles realised this, he too looked. There was someone in there, someone alive, covered in blood and visibly trembling. It was apparent that Scott was unsure of what to do now, and Stiles was never one to be cautious when it came to his own safety, so he sat with his legs over the edge of the hole, and lowered himself in.

''Stiles!'' Scott hissed, but Stiles ignored him. He was the Sheriff's kid through and through, and his instinct to help people was stronger than that of self-preservation.

At the sound of Stiles landing in the mud, the person looked up at him. Stiles recognised him as Isaac Lahey, the lanky and quiet kid that was on the school Lacrosse team. Stiles had low key been keeping tabs on Isaac for a while, he often showed up to practice with black eyes and bruises and never explained where he'd gotten them. Stiles had tried to tell his father and an investigation had been held, but Isaac wouldn't tell them anything, so nothing could ever be done.

Stiles didn't think he'd ever seen anyone look so traumatised. ''Are you okay, Isaac?'' He asked tentatively, not sure what to do with his hands. He knelt down next to Isaac and tried to look for the source of the blood. It was then that Talia and Peter arrived next to Scott, gazing down at Stiles and Isaac. Stiles tried to ignore them and looked again to Isaac who answered, his voice shaking.

''I- I'm not sure. There was... Never mind.'' Isaac's gaze flickered away from Stiles guiltily. Stiles offered Isaac his hands and he took them, pulling himself up and wincing as he jolted whatever injury he had. Stiles could see it now that Isaac was stood up, the tear in his shirt.

''Can I?'' He asked Isaac, gesturing to the wound. Isaac bit his lip and Stiles saw the minuscule flinch. Then Isaac nodded. Before Stiles could put his hands on Isaac, Talia called down to him.

''Stiles? Why don't you and Isaac come up here, and we can take a proper look at that?''

Stiles wasn't sure if it was the best idea, he guessed Isaac was probably ready to run if he got spooked, but he listened anyway. He let himself be pulled out first, clinging onto Peter's hand and pushing against the sides of the hole with his feet. He stood up next to Scott who checked him over worriedly. Isaac wouldn't let Peter help him, and it wasn't until Scott offered his hand that he begrudgingly accepted and dragged himself out. Stiles was surprised that Scott was able to pull Isaac out, but then, werewolves.

''What happened?'' Talia asked in a soft voice, although they all knew exactly what had happened from one look at Isaac's side. When Isaac didn't answer, and instead just stared at his feet, Stiles stepped forward again. Because he was shorter than Isaac he managed to catch his eye. He cautiously approached and when Isaac didn't move away, he took it as a good sign. He slowly put one hand on Isaac's ribs over his shirt to brace them both, and then gently pulled at the torn fabric to look at the source of all of the blood. He hadn't seen Scott's bite, as it had healed over before he could, but from what Scott had told him, he was sure Isaac's wound was identical.

Stiles looked over his shoulder and nodded to Talia, who frowned but nodded back.

''Isaac?'' Stiles spoke quietly. ''Isaac, we need to get this looked at, cleaned up.''

Isaac went white, which was impressive as he'd already been rather pale, and he shook his head frantically pulling away from Stiles. ''No! No, Stiles, it's- I can, I should go-''

Stiles was surprised that Isaac knew his name. ''No, Isaac look, we don't have to go to the hospital. Scott works at the animal clinic. I'm sure his boss, Dr Deaton could patch you up, and we wouldn't have to tell anyone else, okay?''

Isaac looked like he was considering this, and when Stiles glanced over his shoulder at the other werewolves he could have sworn Peter looked impressed. Talia was watching sadly.

''I- okay. Okay.''

Stiles pulled his arms out of the sleeves of his hoodie and balled it up, then handed it over to Isaac. ''Keep the pressure on it, okay?'' Isaac swallowed thickly and then nodded. Stiles gently took the edge of Isaac's sleeve and led the new werewolf to his car, his mind spinning.

Talia, Peter and Scott watched Stiles lead Isaac away before Talia rounded on Scott. ''Scott? What happened back there?''

Scott shook his head, still dazedly watching Stiles and Isaac walk away through the headstones. ''I'm not sure. It was like I had to come here. Like something was... Drawing me here. Then I saw Isaac and it stopped.''

Talia nodded and sighed, rubbing her hands over her face and hair. ''Right. It sounds like the alpha was calling you, probably because he was turning a new beta, trying to expand his pack. This means that he's not completely feral if he was able to pull on the connection you have to him.''

Scott looked disturbed at this and continued watching Stiles and Isaac. ''What are we going to do about him?'' He asked Talia, gesturing in Isaac and Stiles' direction. Talia shook her head.

''That poor kid. We'll let Stiles take him to the clinic, let Deaton get him patched up and then we'll go in and explain things to him.''

Scott grimaced but nodded, then set off to follow Stiles and Isaac across the graveyard.

''This has to stop,'' Talia growled as soon as she knew Scott was out of hearing range. Peter hummed in agreement but he didn't seem particularly concerned.

''Did you see Stilinski though? He'll have that kid wrapped around his finger before the day is out. I wonder if it's his spark or just him, but Tal? He looks like a potential emissary to me.''

''I know. I plan to let him make his own decisions.''

''Of course.'' Peter watched his sister follow the boys, and shook his head with wonder.

 

\----

 

Isaac was silent for the whole journey to the clinic, and Stiles didn't blame him. Isaac didn't yet know he was a werewolf yet though, and Stiles supposed the day was going to get worse for him.

When they arrived at the clinic, Scott who'd also been silent for the entire journey, climbed out first and told them that he'd be back in a minute and to wait for him. They probably only waited for two minutes but the uncomfortable silence felt like it stretched out for two hours as they waited for Scott's return. They both climbed out of the car when they spotted Scott heading back in their direction.

They followed Scott in silence, and Stiles subtly slipped in front of the two of them to open the mountain ash barrier. Stiles didn't want to be stuck explaining that when Isaac and Scott got stuck, he'd rather leave it to the adults. Deaton met them in the clinic, with various bandages and bottles of what appeared to be antiseptics on the table in front of him. Stiles knew that cleaning the wound was ultimately unnecessary, but he supposed it would make things easier for Isaac.

Stiles could hear Talia and Peter in the front of the clinic and moved through to meet them, leaving Scott in the back. Peter and Talia stood the whole time as Deaton patched up Isaac, but Stiles found himself feeling unusually heavy, and dropped into one of the chairs by the front desk. Then he started yawning. A lot. After the sixteenth time in four minutes, Talia and Peter shared a look.

''Stiles?'' Talia asked him. ''Why don't you head home? We've got this under control, and we'll send Scott home soon too. You look like you need the sleep, and I'm sure your father is missing you.''

Stiles felt panic seize his chest. Shit. He'd forgotten all about his dad in the chaos.

''I- Is that okay? I don't want to ditch Scott, I'm his ride.''

''We'll take care of it, don't worry. Go home and sleep.''

He didn't have the energy to argue. He shouted goodbye to Scott and then went to his Jeep. He drove recklessly, and he was well aware of it, but he didn't want his dad to murder him after he'd disappeared all night and all morning.

 

\----

 

''DAD?! Dad, I'm home!'' He called as he let himself into the house, but there was no reply. He walked through into the kitchen and spotted a note on the table.

'Hey kiddo, I just got in to grab a quick shower but I guess you've already gone out. I'm sorry I wasn't in last night but there was a potential break in the case and they needed me. I'm going out again after this and I don't know if I'll be home tonight so there's money on the side for dinner. If Scott wants to sleep over, then he's more than welcome. Love you kid

\- Dad'

Stiles felt guilty at the relief that swept through him. He was glad his dad hadn't been around to miss him, but at the same time, his dad pushed himself too hard. From the sounds of it, he was planning on going two nights straight without sleep. Stiles didn't know what break there possibly could have been in the case, as he knew the Hales didn't know anything more about the alpha yet. He tried not to fret too much.

He took a long hot shower after that, letting his muscles relax and rubbing the grave dirt out of his skin. When he eventually got out and started dicking about with a towel around his waist, he heard his phone beep from where he'd dropped it on his desk. He scooped it up.

**_> From Scotty_.**

**Im heading home u wanna meet?**

**_> To Scotty_.**

**Maybe later dude, I'm wiped**

**How's Isaac?**

**_> From Scotty_.**

**Pretty messed up he freaked at the wwolf thing**

**Talia asked if he wanted to stay at the Hales and he did not take it well**

**Said his dad would b mad**

**Talia asked us and him 2 come to the hales 2morrow and he agreed but has no ride**

**Can we take him?**

**_> To Scotty_.**

**Sure, no problem.**

_**> From Scotty** _

**Thanks dude ttyl?**

__

**_> To Scotty_.**

**Yeah.**

 

Stiles dropped his phone on his bed and went to find some clothes, worrying about Beacon Hill's newest werewolf. Later, fully clothed and on a Wikipedia binge about werewolves that didn't seem to be turning up any truthful results, his phone beeped again. He picked it up, expecting it to be Scott.

 

_**> From Unknown Number** _

**Stilinski? It's Laura**

**Got your number from Cora**

 

Stiles frowned, unsure as to why Laura was contacting him but saved her number into his phone all the same. He now had three Hale's numbers, not many to go now.

 

**_> To Laura H_.**

**Yeah it's me**

**What's up?**

_**> From Laura H.** _

**Not much actually, mostly just wanted to say hi**

**Also ask what happened today**

**Mom wouldn't tell us much**

 

Stiles couldn't help grinning.

_**> To Laura H.** _

**The alpha called Scott or something**

**It bit this kid called Isaac Lahey**

**He goes to school with us**

**I didn't stay for the whole thing so I don't know what happened after Deaton patched him up**

__

_**> From Laura H.** _

**Is it cool if i call you? Typing is killing me**

_**> To Laura H.** _

**Sure**

 

A moment later his phone started ringing.

_''Yeah, hello?''_

_''Stiles, how goes it?''_

_''Good, I guess. You?''_

_''All good. Wow, so a pretty eventful day then.''_

_''Yeah, I guess. I hope Isaac is okay. I think his dad is abusing him. He's been showing up to school for years with bruises, and my dad even held an investigation but nothing came of it. I don't know what's going to happen now if his dad sees his bruising vanishing in seconds.''_

Laura was silent for a few seconds, in which Stiles stood up from his desk, closing his laptop on the way, and perched himself on his bed, wrapping his sheets around him. The temperature had dropped rapidly in the last few minutes and Stiles guessed from the state of the black clouds outside that there was going to be a storm tonight.

_''Shit. Shit, that's not good. I hope having a pack will help him. I'll tell Mom about it tonight, I'm sure she'll be able to do something about this.''_

_''But what if I'm wrong?''_

_''Stiles, you should trust your instincts. I do, and I know my Mom does too.''_

Stiles reeled a little at that. Surely they couldn't have such faith in him after such little time. It didn't make sense. And besides, he was just some kid that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or rather, Scott had been.

_''Hmm. Deaton still freaks me out though. I thought he was a vet?''_

He heard Laura laugh, a loud, light sound.

_''Oh, he is. I don't even really know, he's cryptic and mysterious and a little bit of an asshole. He knows his shit though. He's technically our emissary, although he's not really involved or emotionally invested at all.''_

_''What's an emissary?''_

_''Oh, right. Well, they're human, for starters. They're usually magic or at least have the capability for it. They're sort of like advisor to the pack and the alpha, for political matters or just shit that happens. Deaton's not exactly the best though. If it came to it, I'd bet he'd ditch us in a second if it benefited him.''_

Laura sounded quite bitter. Stiles thought back over everything she'd said, and decided he loved her, just a little bit.

_''He'd told me I'm magic today.''_

_''Really? Well, I'm not really surprised, but congrats.''_

She sounded sincere. Stiles wasn't sure why he was sharing this with Laura, but he had a habit of running his mouth, and he liked her. She was amazing, and he'd only needed a couple of days to figure it out.

' _'Thanks. I'm not sure how I feel about it._ ''

Before he could say anything else or Laura could reply, he heard someone else talk on Laura's end.

_''Laura? Who're you talking to?''_

_''Stiles.''_

_''Oh. HEY STILINSKI_!''

When she shouted, Stiles recognised Cora's voice. He grinned.

_''HEY HALE!''_

He called back, then heard Laura complaining.

_''Well that was fun but can we stop screaming? I have sensitive ears.''_

_''SORRY!''_

Stiles and Cora both shouted at the same time, and then both snickered.

_''Right, well it was cool talking to you Stiles, but I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later?''_

_''Yeah. See ya.''_

Laura hung up first.

 

\----

 

Stiles wasn't sure what had woken him up. His phone told him it was only five, he'd fallen asleep about four hours previously, lulled to unconsciousness by the sudden downpour outside. Oh well, he was awake now. He went downstairs, still wrapped in his blankets, his feet freezing on the cold floor, toying with the idea of ordering pizza. Scott would probably be willing to come over and play Xbox for a few hours. Just as he was going to pick up the phone and call the pizza place, there was a desperate knock at the door.

Stiles frowned, wondering who it could be. His dad wouldn't knock, and he doubted anyone else would come over in the pouring rain. The storm was huge and there was probably going to be downed power lines during the night.

Whoever it was knocked again, louder and more insistent this time and Stiles hurried to the door. He pulled it open. Scott was stood there, gasping like he'd ran all the way here and soaked from head to toe.

''Scotty? What's going on?''

Scott didn't try to come into the house, just stood there, gasping and looking at Stiles, seemingly half wild.

''Stiles! It's happening again. The alpha. I think he's bitten someone else.''

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback and Comments are greatly appreciated. :)


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The alpha wreaks more havoc and Stiles discovers more of his latent abilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so incredibly sorry that this update has taken so long, I managed to smash my laptop into pieces and have only just now been able to get onto my AO3 account. I'm really sorry about that, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Stiles stared at Scott for exactly six seconds before dumping his blankets and spiriting upstairs to get his phone. There were three Hales he could call but Laura's number was the one he found first. She answered on the second ring.

_''Hello? Stiles?''_

''Laura _! Scott just showed up at my house, he said it's happening again. He said the alpha's bitten someone else.''_

There was lots of muffled cursing and indiscernible shouting before Laura said anything else.  _''Okay. We're going. Does Scott know where this is happening?''_

 _''Hang on.''_ Stiles ran back down the stairs to where Scott was standing, dripping in the hallway. ''Scott, do you know where this is happening?'' 

Scott considered this for a few seconds. ''I'm not totally sure, I think it's the hospital. I can go and find out?''

Laura, who'd apparently been listening, spoke up.  _''No. Mom wants you two to stay put, I'll keep you updated. If nothing shows up, I'll let you know.''_

Before Stiles could reply, Laura had hung up. Stiles looked at Scott. ''So... You want some dry clothes?''

They actually  _did_ end up ordering pizza and playing Xbox, mostly just to keep them distracted from whatever was happening out in the storm. At half eight Stiles' phone buzzed and he almost dropped it, trying to grab it and read the text.

 

**> From Laura H.**

_**Scott was right** _

_**Some girl called Erica was bitten at the hospital** _

 

**> To Laura H**

_**Erica Reyes?** _

 

**> From Laura H.**

_**Ya** _

 

 _**>** _ **To Laura H.**

_**Ok thanks.** _

 

Scott watched him expectantly, eyebrows raised. '' _So?''_   Stiles chucked his phone down on the couch.

''You were right. It was Erica Reyes.'' 

Scott frowned in his token way, his whole face scrunching up and looking like a puppy. ''Which one is Erica Reyes?'' 

Stiles couldn't help rolling his eyes. Scott wouldn't notice a girl if she punched him in the face. ''She's got blonde hair, blue eyes, she sits behind you in math?'' Scott apparently still wasn't getting it. Stiles sighed.

''She's the one with epilepsy Scotty. You know, the one that people like to tape while she's seizing?'' Stiles ground his teeth angrily and Scott's eyes finally lit up with recognition. 

''Oh,  _right.''_   _  
_

''Yeah.'' 

They didn't speak of it after that. Scott clearly thought that everything was the pack's problem, and while Stiles resented it a little, he supposed it _was_. He'd never been  _friends_ with Erica, but they'd been lab partners last year and had had a few conversations. Since then, Stiles always said hi to her in the corridors, made a point to ask how she was doing, but they were never really  _friends_. Now all Stiles wanted to was run out in the storm and find Erica, make sure she was okay. He was feeling the same for Isaac, in a more low-key way. Like with Erica, Stiles had never been  _friends_ with Isaac, but they'd exchanged polite words and Stiles just wanted to  _help._

He suppressed the urge. 

Scott ended up sleeping over that night, and Stiles had to pin him a couple of times during the night as he wolfed out and tried to head for the window. Stiles somehow managed to avoid injury and Scott was overly apologetic. He didn't know if the alpha was calling Scott, or if he was just out of control, but he kept needed to  _go._  Scott didn't know exactly where in instinct was pulling him. Stiles told Scott that he suspected that the new werewolves in the alpha's 'pack' were setting Scott on edge, but he had no way to be sure.

The storm had passed when they woke up. The sky was still cloudy and dark, but the rain and wind had let up. They'd managed to avoid any power outages, but listening in on the police radio frequencies told Stiles that there  _had_ been several power outages across town. 

When Stiles' alarm went off at ten, they both finally got up, still exhausted but functioning a little better than the day before. There wasn't much in the house to eat, but Stiles still had some money from the previous night so they decided to get food on the way to the Hales'. Stiles' phone pinged as they rolled down the high street and he asked Scott to get it. Scott pulled a face.

''It's Cora. She says, 'Stiles baby if you bring me an iced frappé I'll love you forever and forgive you for last night's plate.' ''

Stiles grinned. ''Looks like we're going to Starbucks.'' 

The two of them showed up at the Hale house half an hour later with Coffee for Cora, eight sandwiches for Scott who was ''So hungry, dude!'' and Stiles' pockets full of Twizzlers. He had _fourteen_ packets, which was apparently a disgrace to Scott. Stiles told him to shove it because ''Dude, you have like  _eight_ sandwiches!''

Cora met them on the porch, looking like she'd woken up about six seconds ago with hair all over the place and drowning in a _huge_  sweater that came almost to her knees. She snatched the frappé out of Stiles' hand, kissed him on the cheek and then disappeared back into the house without a word. Stiles shrugged at Scott's bewildered look and followed Cora into the house.

''Stiles, Scott, how are you two doing?'' Samantha appeared behind them, having had come down the stairs, and put her hand on Scott's shoulder, the other on her baby bump. 

''Good.''

They both answered at the same time, and Samantha smiled. ''C'mon then. I believe we have two of your classmates with us. I'm sure familiar faces will do a world of good.'' 

The three of them walked into the dining room. Isaac and Erica were sat at the long table. Neither of them looked particularly distraught. Isaac just looked lost, and Erica seemed pretty surprised, but not really upset. Talia, Peter and Laura were sat at the other end of the table, gripping hot drinks. All three of them did  _not_ look like morning people, which made Stiles smirk with amusement.

All five of them looked up as they entered the room. Isaac seemed slightly relieved, Erica surprised, and the others pleased. 

''Hey kids.'' Peter greeted them, raising his mug with slightly bloodshot eyes. Samantha walked up the room to the Hales, and Scott and Stiles took the two seats opposite Isaac and Erica. Stiles eyed Laura's coffee from down the table, and Scott started pulling sandwich after sandwich out of the plastic bag he'd dropped on the table, ignorant to the looks he was getting. Stiles snickered, and the amused looks from Erica and Isaac sent a wave of relief through him. So they weren't totally fucked up then.

''Care to share, McCall?'' 

Scott looked up at Peter who was watching with an eyebrow raised. Scott thought about this for a second before shoving a whole half of a sandwich in his mouth. ''No.'' He answered, with his mouth full. Stiles started laughing again. Peter didn't reply, just snorted. 

''Can... Can  _I_ have one?'' Isaac asked, his voice slightly shaking. Everyone in the room watched as Scott looked at Isaac, surprised. Scott stuffed the other half of the sandwich in his mouth and tossed a sandwich across the table to Isaac, who caught it easily. Stiles stifled a smile and pulled a packet of Twizzlers out of his pocket. 

''Can I have one of  _those?''_ Erica asked Stiles, albeit nervously, and he pulled another packet out of his pocket and shot them at Erica. 

''Anything for you, Reyes.'' 

They both grinned, and Stiles thought that things might not be totally shitty. Everything was silent for a few minutes, slightly uncomfortably, before Derek came quietly into the room. Stiles spotted a leaf in his hair and got up, following him into the kitchen.

''You been rolling around in the woods, Sourwolf?''

Derek shot him a withering look. 

''Y'know, because you've got a-'' Stiles reached over and plucked the leaf out of Derek's hair and showed it to him. ''-in your hair.'' He balanced the leaf on Derek's shoulder and snickered. Derek grumbled, not touching the leaf which made Stiles laugh more, and opened a cupboard to pull a mug out.

''Oh, are you making coffee?! Can I have one? Please?'' 

Derek looked at him for a few seconds before grumbling again and pulling another mug out of the cupboard.  ''Yay, thank you!'' Stiles called, and he could hear Peter snickering. He glanced at the leaf which was still of Derek, grinned, and went and rejoined Scott at the table. 

''So... Are you okay?'' Stiles asked, both Erica and Isaac. Isaac answered first.

''I think so. It was weird. I though everyone was going crazy when they told me it was  _werewolves_ , but my side was already healed and then they _showed_ me, and...  _Werewolves._ '' 

''I thought I was gonna pass out,'' Erica admitted. ''But then they told me my epilepsy would be gone. I just need time to get used to it.''

Scott grabbed Stiles' hand and pulled it out across the table, just in time to catch a mug of coffee that would've otherwise ended up on the floor. Stiles raised the cup to his lips, and then toasted Derek in appreciation.

 

\----

 

The afternoon passed and it was the kind of afternoon Stiles wished he could live every day. He sat on the porch almost the  _entire_  time, soaking up the sunlight. He watched as Scott, Isaac and Erica tried over and over to shift back and forth. Isaac did well, Erica struggled and Scott was useless at it, but Talia reassured them they just needed practice. The whole thing was fond and warm, and more often than not laughter rang out through the trees.

Derek set up near Stiles after a while, sitting propped against the house with a book and a drink between his legs, another one of which he'd wordlessly handed to Stiles, briefly resting a hand on his shoulder as he did so. Stiles spent a lot of time dicking around on his phone and laughing with the others, but also managed to finish a couple of pieces of homework too. 

Laura and Cora, both in wolf form, came in and out of sight sporadically, darting through the trees and pushing into each other as they went. Peter was doing something at the side of the house with Samantha, and Stiles had to suppress a snort at the thought of Peter _gardening._  Rowan appeared now and again and spoke a few words with Derek or Talia. 

One of the Hales that Stiles hadn't been introduced to yet showed up mid-afternoon with food for all of them. Talia introduced the Stiles to the man, who was called Taylor and was one of Rowan's brothers. 

Despite Isaac and Erica being thrown violently into this new world without any warning, and despite the Hales having to take in three new teenage werewolves, everything was oddly subdued, as if everyone's emotions had been paused. The afternoon was pleasant and familiar, but in a way that made it seem like any moment now the peace would crumble and the world would come crashing down around them. Maybe it was the looming threat of the alpha, or the hunters, or the emotional strain on everyone, but Stiles could feel the fragility of their current predicament. Pretty soon, everything was going to explode.

Somehow after they'd eaten, Scott and Stiles ended up wrestling on the ground next to the porch. Isaac looked tense as it happened but they both couldn't stop laughing. Stiles managed to pin Scott for a few seconds, but Scott was much stronger and pushed him off. Stiles ended up on his back a foot away, slightly winded. Scott scrambled over, worried, but as soon as he caught his breath, Stiles was laughing again.

After that, they decided to head home. Stiles was dying to see his dad and Scott was behind on the homework they had and was annoyed about it too because ''I can't believe they gave us homework in the first week!''. After saying goodbye to as many people as he could find, Stiles headed back to the Jeep, Scott in tow. Derek must've thought he was out of hearing range, however, as he grabbed Scott and hissed at him, ''Be  _careful!_ Humans are fragile.''

Stiles half wanted to kick Derek's ass (He knew he wouldn't be able to but the thought was consoling), and half wanted to preen because Derek was looking out for him. Instead, he climbed into his Jeep, rolled down the window and told Scott to hurry his hairy ass. Scott said something to Derek that Stiles didn't quite catch and then walked to the Jeep and climbed into the passenger seat. Stiles cranked the radio way up and waved to Derek through the open window as he and Scott rolled away from the Hale house and into the woods.

 

\----

 

Stiles felt incredibly weird going back to school the next day. After everything that had happened over the weekend, he didn't feel like he belonged here anymore (Not that he'd ever felt like he really belonged anyway). Scott seemed to have enough of a handle on himself to get through. 

They'd been standing outside of the school in the morning, only for a few minutes before a huge black car rolled up on the curb. They both watched as Allison climbed out of the monster car. Stiles was about to wave to her, before he saw a man, presumably her father, get out of the driver's side. Stiles felt like he'd been punched in the chest. Scott didn't notice anything. Stiles whipped out his phone.

 

**> To Peter Hale**

_**I need Derek's number.** _

 

Somehow he figured Peter would poke fun at him the least and was proved right when a text came through a few seconds later that comprised of numbers. Stiles saved the number into his phone and then texted the photo he'd just taken to Derek. He looked up to see Allison hugging the man and he wanted to puke.

 

**> To Sourwolf**

_**This who I think it is?** _

 

Derek apparently guessed that it was Stiles texting him, and sent a flurry of panicked texts. 

 

**> From Sourwolf**

**_**Has he seen you?** _ **

_**Get out of there now.** _

_**I'm coming.** _

__

**> To Sourwolf**

_**No dude don't worry.** _

_**He's not here for us.** _

_**His daughter goes to our school.** _

 

It was a few agonising minutes before Derek replied, during which Allison came over to them and kissed Scott on the cheek before waving back to her father who looked displeased. Stiles suppressed the urge to tackle her away from Scott.

 

 **> From Sourwolf** _  
_

_**I'm coming anyway, I'll be around.** _

_**Stay away from the kid.** _

 

Stiles grimaced. From the way Scott was looking at Allison, that probably wasn't going to happen.

Neither Isaac or Erica were in school that day, not that Stiles was surprised. He didn't know how Talia had gotten around Isaac's dad and Erica's parents, but it was definitely best for the new wolves to keep away from the school. If he was honest, Stiles thought that Talia probably should've manhandled Scott into staying away too.

As if to prove his point, they didn't even get through the whole day without an incident. Stiles had been dubious, but Scott was determined to go to Lacrosse practice. Scott was  _adamant_ that he could control himself, so Stiles went along with it, fully prepared to have to have to take out Scott guerilla style.

When Scott tackled Jackson in the middle of running drills, Stiles felt like he could've prevented the mess. It wouldn't have been so bad, had Scott not gone and _dislocate_  Jackson's freaking shoulder. If Jackson hadn't been an issue before, he certainly was going to be now. 

Afterwards, in the locker room, Stiles remembered he was supposed to be meeting Deaton so he hurriedly changed and left Scott there. He hadn't left quick enough to miss the sound of Derek shouting at Scott. Apparently, Derek had witnessed the mess on the Lacrosse field. Derek tried to tell Scott that he couldn't play in the game on the following Saturday, but Scott wouldn't listen. Part of Stiles wanted to burst into the room and bitch-slap some sense into his best friend, but he needed to leave, so he left Derek to mishandle Scott.

 

\----

 

Deaton was waiting for Stiles in the back of the clinic when he arrived. He dropped his bag in the lobby room and broke through the mountain ash barrier to find the vet. There were a few bottles on the counter, all containing weird substances that Stiles didn't really want to go near. When Deaton beckoned him over he had to resist the urge to reel away. He stood opposite Deaton with the table between them, gripping the cold metal in his hands.

''Do you know what this is?'' Deaton held up a bottle which was half filled with what looked like ash and was completely black. 

''No.'' Deaton nodded like he'd been expecting this. Stiles had  _no_ idea what to make of the situation. Deaton was peculiar at the best of times, but now he was being outright  _weird._

''It's mountain ash, the same stuff that creates the protective ring around this building. Keeps out everything supernatural indefinitely if you use it right. It's a magical element that doesn't actually require any magic to do its job, only a spark. This means it won't take anything away from you when you use it, meaning, for now, this is your most powerful weapon.'' _  
_

Stiles took the jar when Deaton offered it to him and balanced it in his hands. It was abnormally light, but Stiles decided he had to stop questioning everything. It was magic, so there was going to be some freaky shit, guaranteed. 

Deaton made him pour the ash in a circle which was so wide that Stiles couldn't close it. He looked up at Deaton questioningly. 

''Close it.'' 

''What do you mean  _close it?_ How?'' 

Deaton just said, ''Believe that the circle is closed.''

''...Believe? How?

''Just, _believe.''_

Stiles wanted to rip his hair out and possibly break something of Deaton's, for the vet's cryptic bullshit. Muttering under his breath he turned back to the open circle. 'Believe my ass. Like that's gonna work.'' 

He glared at the circle for a few seconds, and obviously, nothing happened. He sighed.

''Right. Believe in the circle. The circle is closed. Blah blah blah.''

He closed his eyes, and pictured in his head the circle he had made, but closed around him. He opened his eyes. The circle was closed.

''Fuck yeah!'' 

At Deaton's raised eyebrows Stiles stopped doing his flailing victory dance and opted for internal screeching.  _'Wow.'_ He thought.  _'I didn't expect Deaton's bullshit to actually work!'_

Deaton nodded at him, not looking like much of anything. ''Well done.'' He told Stiles in a flat tone. ''Now, you're going to do it again.''

Stiles  _did_ do it again, so many times that he thought his eyeballs were going to bleed, but he  _was_ improving. By the end of their session, he could make a circle with a handful of ash, by spinning around in a circle, throwing the ash as he went and imagining the circle forming in his head. Apparently, Deaton hadn't expected his to progress so quickly, because he actually looked a little  _impressed_ as Stiles made a strong circle from barely anything. 

It was just starting to get dark outside when Deaton told him he could stop. Deaton reached up and pulled another bottle of mountain ash down from a shelf and gave it to Sties.

''Here.'' He told him. ''If you're in trouble, you can use this to keep supernatural out. And also-'' A hint of a smirk crossed his lips. ''It can be used to keep supernatural  _in.''_

Stiles groaned to himself. He should've known he'd never live down letting Scott out on the full moon. He took the bottle. 

''Thanks.'' 

 After leaving the clinic Stiles decided to keep the bottle tucked in the glove compartment of the Jeep. He figured he'd leave it somewhere if he had to lug it around constantly, and wherever he went, the Jeep went too.

He got home ten minutes later to see his dad's cruiser in the driveway.

''Dad? I'm home!'' He called as he closed the front door behind him and headed into the house. His dad was sat at the table in the dining room, surrounded by papers- Case files. Even when he wasn't working, he was always working.

''Hey, kid. How was your day?'' 

''Fine,'' Stiles told him as he headed past to the stairs.

''Come here a minute Stiles, I've barely seen you all week.''

' _And whose fault is that?'_ He thought, but complied, dropping his backpack on one of the chairs and slumping into the one next to it. He looked at his dad expectantly, waiting for his to look up from the case files. It took his almost a minute to drag his gaze away from the papers and it pained Stiles, who knew more about the case than his dad did.

''Anything interesting happen today? How's Scott?''

Stiles thought back to Scott maiming Jackson and then his own escapades with Deaton.

''Not much. Scott's good, he has this crush on the new girl, Allison, and he won't shut up about her.''

John smiled and Stiles wished he didn't have to lie to his dad. He'd known that telling his dad about Allison would draw his attention away from Stiles and that it would maintain his façade of normalcy with his dad. 

''How was work?'' He asked and John's expression darkened slightly. He sighed.

''Uneventful. We've had no new leads and I just... I wish I could catch the bastard that did it.'' 

Stiles was  _glad_ that his dad didn't have any leads because it kept him safe. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if his dad tried to go head to head with a rogue alpha. Get bitten or killed, probably.

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. They ate Chilli that Stiles made, and watched a baseball game on the tv, the papers on the table forgotten for the time being. Stiles found himself slowly drifting in and out of sleep as his sat slumped next to his dad. It wasn't until he jerked out of unconsciousness the third time that he realised he was absolutely exhausted. 

''Go to bed, kiddo. I'll see you tomorrow.''

Stiles looked blearily over at his dad. He grunted in agreement and dragged himself upright, slowly trudging towards the stairs, fully aware that it was unlikely that he'd see his dad tomorrow at all. 

 

\----

 

The next day came and went, and it was the most normal day Stiles had experienced since Scott was bitten. Isaac and Erica weren't in school again, which didn't surprise Stiles, and Scott was surprisingly quiet. When Stiles asked him, Scott denied that anything was wrong, so Stiles just chose to keep a closer eye on him for the rest of the day. 

Stiles wanted to go with Scott to the Hales' after school, but Stiles had a growing mountain of homework  _already_ which he really needed to get through, so he left Scott to his weirdness and drove home. 

After spending an hour going between writing an English essay and banging his head on the table, he gave up and went downstairs to make food. While stirring a pot of pasta, his phone starting buzzing in his pocket. He fished it out and answered to Scott. 

 _''Dude, what's happening?''_  He asked, hearing Scott's panting down the line.

 _''The alpha.''_ Scott snarled down the line, and Stiles had to hold the phone away from his ear at the volume. 

 _''Where are you, Scott?''_  

 _''Preserve.''_ Scott replied after a second.  _''Don't know exactly where. Erica and Isaac are here somewhere too.''_

_''What about the others? Isn't Talia or someone with you?''_

_''No.''_

Before Stiles could say anything else, the call cut off.  _''Shit.''_ He hissed to himself, scooping his red hoodie from the back of one of the dining chairs and grabbing his keys on the way out into the darkness. He cursed, of  _course_ it had to be dark already. He hopped into the Jeep and rolled out of the driveway, preparing himself to traipse around in a forest full of werewolves, friendly and otherwise. 

He stopped the Jeep on a dark country road, about halfway to the Hale house. He figured that if the alpha was out and about, it wouldn't want to be too near to the pack of hostiles werewolves. He muttered under his breath about how Scott owed him, and how much on an idiot he was, and then set off into the woods. 

Luckily the sky was clear and the moon lit his path enough, otherwise, he'd be on his ass constantly. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself by shining his phone's torch all over the place. 

Ten minutes and no werewolves in, he tried calling Scott. Scott didn't answer, but if he strained, Stiles thought he could hear a shrill ringing in the distance. He shoved his phone in his pocket and carried on walking.

When he heard howling, not too far away. He froze, back pressed almost painfully into the rough bark of a wide tree. After a few seconds and not seeing or hearing anything he started creeping in the general direction of the howling. When he saw movement, he stopped again. 

A quick, terrified glance around the tree told him that it was Erica who was moving around to his right. He stepped out slowly, hissing between his teeth to get her attention.

_''Erica!''_

Her head snapped around and she turned yellow eyes onto him. He couldn't help but shudder under her gaze. She looked like she was going to speak, but then something rustled nearby and she took off past him and vanished. 

'' _Shit!''_

Then, he heard a growling behind him that sent goosebumps up his neck. He  _slowly_ turned on the spot until he found himself staring down a  _fucking massive_ alpha werewolf. It was like some horrifying mix between a wolf and hog, and he would've gagged if he wasn't afraid the thing would eat him. 

The alpha took one step towards him and he was gone, fleeing deeper into the woods. He knew he couldn't outrun the thing for long, but he couldn't stop now that he was moving. Just as he swore he could feel the alpha's breathe on his neck, a figure came crashing out of nowhere and barrelled into the alpha. Stiles stopped and turned to watch as the alpha tossed a shifted Isaac aside, leaving deep claw marks in his chest. Isaac landed next to Stiles with a whine, and the alpha started to descend upon them. 

Something rose in Stiles, something hot and wild and pure. As if his brain had taken a backseat to this feeling, Stiles felt himself moving, as if watching from afar. He stood over Isaac and  _roared._

While the sound held no human words, there was the implied message of  _mine,_ and  _stay away._ His throat burned with the sound, as it worked its way out of him and rang, sharp and clear across the forest. 

Stiles wasn't aware of it, and neither was Isaac, but Stiles had staked a claim on Isaac as if he were an alpha himself, and it was a claim that would only be broken in death.

The alpha blinked at him. With a huff that sounded almost condescending, it turned and disappeared into the night. 

Stiles turned and dropped beside Isaac, hands fluttering nervously above the wounds on the beta's chest. 

''Are you okay?'' He asked, voice shaking slightly, and completely refusing to even think about what had just happened.

Isaac looked up at him with wide eyes, but his shocked expression quickly softened. ''I think so. It hurts like a bitch, but I heal quick, right?'' 

Stiles helped the taller boy to his feet, just as Erica and Scott stumbled onto them. Not looking at them, Stiles spoke to Isaac.

''You saved me.  _Thank you.''_  

Issac gave him a small smile in return. ''I think I should be thanking  _you_ , for whatever _that_ was.'' 

As Stiles gave Isaac an impromptu hug, Erica and Scott rounded on him.

'What exactly was _that?_ I heard it from way back there.'' Erica told him as Scott dithered, looking distressed.

Releasing Isaac, Stiles rubbed a hand against his throat. ''I... I have  _no_ idea.'' They all looked at each other in disbelief for a few seconds before Stiles noticed Isaac grimace in pain.

''We should get you back to the house. '' Stiles told him. Isaac nodded, but then seemed to remember something. 

''But... What about the guy that got bitten?''

Stiles paled. ''There was  _another?''_

Erica and Scott both nodded in confirmation when he looked over at them. '' _Shit.''_ He groaned, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes. 

''Right. Where?'' 

The three of them lead him a short way, what he thought was east, until they came across a figure lying in the mud, breathing but otherwise silent. The three werewolves stood back as Stiles dropped to his knees next to the person.

Stiles recognised the boy as Vernon Boyd, another quiet kid from Beacon Hills High. He'd been bitten in the exact same place as the other three. Stiles gently shook Boyd's chest.

''Hey. Hey dude,  _please_ wake up, because I  _cannot_ possibly carry you.''

Boyd stirred. ''You calling me fat?'' He groaned, opening his eyes. Stiles sighed in relief, Boyd appeared to be okay. Isaac rushed forwards to help Stiles pull Boyd to his feet.

''What- What the hell happened?'' Boyd asked, his gaze focusing in on stiles. stiles grinned sheepishly. 

''I'm really not the best to explain it. But there's a house a short was away, and the people there will be able to explain it all.'' 

Boyd glared suspiciously at him, and then looked around at the other three. He took in Isaac's shredded chest with vague horror, and then his gaze softened when it landed on Erica.

''Rica', s'that you?'' 

She smiled a little, raising a hand in greeting. Boyd sighed. 

''Fine, take me to the creepy murder house.'' 

Stiles hid his smile of appreciation. 

  

\----

 

Half a mile from the Hale house, the other werewolves found them. It was Laura that came crashing through the trees first and stumbled onto them. When she'd looked them all over, taking in Isaac's wounds and the newly bitten werewolf leaning between Stiles and Isaac, she let out a call.

''MOM! I FOUND THEM!'' 

Not ten seconds later did two werewolves come tearing towards them. Without a word, but with a few withering glances, Talia moved to take Boyd's weight from Stiles and Isaac, murmuring something to him. Peter came over and peered at Isaac's chest, before slinging an arm around him and pulling him away. Scott and Erica began trudging after the pack and Stiles stayed on the spot, staring after them.

His head had caught up with what'd happened, and he was a little bit freaked out. He then noticed Derek lurking, watching him. 

''You really scared us, you know?'' He said, and Stiles practically wilted. 

''Erica, Isaac and Scott just up and vanished without a word, and we all thought  Hunters had gotten them, considering what happened this morning. But I guess I can understand that they were under the control of the alpha. But  _you-_ ''

Stiles cringed as Derek's voice took on a snarl. 

''- were under no such control! Why would you  _follow_ them into the woods, full of Hunters, and werewolves, and god knows what else?! WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME?!''

Derek shouted at Stiles, who wobbled on the spot. He knew Derek was right, but he'd been so  _worried_ about Scott, that he hadn't even thought. 

He wobbled a few steps forward until he was within Derek's reach. They  _looked_ at each other for a few seconds. Derek's eyes had sparked blue, and his hands were balled at his sides. Stiles was too exhausted to make a sarcastic comment.

Instead, he closed the gap between them and slumped against Derek, wrapping his arms around the taller boy's torso. Derek stood rigid for a second, but then he relaxed and his arms found their way around Stiles. In Derek's grip, hardly any of Stiles' weight was on his own feet.

''M'sorry Sourwolf. Was scared for Scott.''  He mumbled into Derek's shoulder. 

''What happened?'' 

Derek asked, much more softly. Stiles pulled himself up onto his legs and pulled away a few inches. Neither of them really noticed how their arms were still on each other, Derek's hands slightly curved around Stiles' forearms. 

''Don't know all of it. I heard howling, then saw Rica' who then vanished. The alpha saw me, started chasing me, thought I was a goner-''

Stiles ignored the low grumble from Derek's chest.

'-then Isaac jumps on the alpha, all werewolf ninja style. The alpha throws him off, claws him up. Them Isaac's next to me and the alpha disappears.'' 

Derek's brow furrows, and Stiles knew the huge gap in his story wouldn't go unnoticed.

''What do you mean? Why would it just  _vanish?''_

Stiles' reply was lost in a mumble. 

'' _What?_ ''

''Used Magic.'' Stiles grumbled a little louder. ''Didn't meantto. don't even know what I did.'' 

He started wobbling again, his adrenalin fully giving way to exhaustion. Derek caught him as he slumped forward.

''Alright Little Red, let's get you to bed.'' Derek murmured as he swept Stiles up bridal style.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback and Comments are greatly appreciated. :)


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The secret is shared and Stiles begins to realise where he belongs.

Once the four newly-bittens and Stiles had fallen asleep in the living room of the Hale house, (despite the several guest rooms upstairs, Talia had chosen to keep them together) Talia called a Hale family meeting.

''What do we do Tal?'' Peter asked her, face twisted into a frown. ''The thing's practically turning a kid a day. If we can't stop it, we're going to have a very  _serious_  problem,  _soon._ ''

Talia looked at her brother for a long few seconds. The other Hales in the room stayed silent, waiting for their alpha's orders.

''We've been desperately searching, but the alpha continues to allude us. Currently, I think with training and care, our four new betas are going to be perfectly fine. It may be necessary to begin damage control with the families at some point soon, but I think we should be able to manage. As for Stiles... I think it may be in our best interests to bring his father, the Sheriff, into the folds. He's in a position that would make it easier for us to go unnoticed.

There was a general hum of consideration and agreement, and then Laura spoke up. 

''What about McCall's mother? She's a nurse at the county hospital, wouldn't it be prudent to have someone on the inside of the hospital, should any situations arise?'' 

Talia nodded for a few seconds.

''Yes, yes, I think you're right. Neither the Sheriff nor Melissa McCall is likely to cause a fuss, I believe, for the sake of their children. I'm aware that the Sheriff has knowledge of some forms of supernatural creatures, which is a good starting point. They'll probably both need proof of our existence, however, so I'll go with Stiles and Scott, help them explain things to their parents. As for the alpha... I'm sure you're all aware that the Argent family has returned to Beacon Hills-''

Several growls and hisses of distaste erupted around the room.

'' _However-_ I can't help but wonder if we must find out what they know. They're sneaky bastards, and they have an in with the humans.''

Rowan questioned his wife. ''Are you sure that's a good idea? Even  _if_ they told us anything, they'd just turn around and burn us to the ground, at the first opportunity that arose.''

''I know. If removing the Argents and breaking the peace is what we have to do, then so be it.''

Everyone was silent for a minute or so.

''I hate to bring this up again Tal-'' Peter began slowly, ''-but you heard what Deaton said about Stilisnki, and-''

Derek interrupted his uncle. ''What did Deaton say?!''

Peter glared at Derek, then carried on, ignoring him. ''Perhaps it would be the best course of action, to see if  _he_ can find the alpha. If what the boy told Derek about what happened this evening is true, then it seems the alpha should be seeking to take out Stilinski soon.''

'' _What?!''_ Cora, Laura and Derek all exclaimed at the same time. Talia looked grim, although she couldn't help the pleased twinge that spread through her; her kids were starting to consider Stiles as _pack_. She addressed her distressed children.

''This evening, when Stiles protected Isaac... To put it simply, it was an act that should only be possible from another alpha. He acted almost like an alpha in his own right... Not only will the rogue alpha be unable to pull on his connection to Isaac anymore... Stiles issued a challenge. He stole one of the alpha's betas, so the alpha will be out for blood. And a new beta. Stiles shouldn't have been able to do what he did, but he  _did._ We will have to keep a closer eye on him now, more than ever.''

''However,  _Peter_ , despite the alpha's newfound thirst for Stiles' blood, I  _will not allow_ Stiles to become bait. Our biggest concern in his regard now is protecting him from the alpha, and preventing the Argents from catching wind of his existence and going on a Witch hunt.'' 

''What's our next move then?'' Laura asked.

''We let in the Sheriff and Melissa McCall at the nearest opportunity, which I am guessing will be very soon. We take care of our new betas and teach them as much control as we can in the next few days. I will attempt to establish a connection with the Argents, for the sake of the safety of Beacon Hills. And for  _goodness sake_ , keep those kids out of the woods!''

 

\----

 

Stiles woke to murmuring voices and sat bolt upright. All he saw in the dark room was Laura shaking awake a drowsy Erica. He rolled over and elbowed Scott, who was dead to the world next to him. 

Scott woke with a groan and pulled his blanket up over his head. Stiles picked up his phone from the floor next to him. 6 am was  _far_ too early to be awake. As he was about to put his phone down, it started ringing, waking up the other two werewolves in the room. He hurried to answer it, and stop the shrill ringing.

'' _Dad? What's up?''_ He tried and failed, to sound casual. 

'' _Stiles? Where the_ hell  _are you? And don't say at Scott's, because Melissa just called me and Scott is missing too.''_

Stiles held the phone away from him and stared at Scott who was looking back, equally panicked. They both glanced over as Talia entered the room, and Stiles brought the phone back to his ear.

'' _Uhh...''_

''Stiles,'' Talia addressed him. ''I think it might be time to bring your father in on our secret. Scott, your mother too.'' 

Both of them paled at the prospect

_''I'll be home in twenty, dad. I'll explain everything. We'll explain everything, to you, and Melissa.''_

He hung up the phone before his dad could reply and looked desperately over at Talia. She smiled sympathetically.

''Don't worry, I'll be right there with you.'' 

They stayed at the Hale house just long enough to inhale an obscene amount of toast (which was mostly Scott's doing) and get their shit together, and then call goodbye to the house of Hales, before going to Talia's car. Halfway to Stiles' house, Talia let them both out and they rescued the Jeep from the roadside. Stiles thanked god that it hadn't been towed during the night.

They pulled into the driveway at Stiles' and saw Melissa's car. Stiles' hands were shaking on the steering wheel of the Jeep, and Scott gave his wrist a squeeze before hopping out. 

Stiles opened the front door with his keys to see his dad run down the hall and wrap him in a hug. His dad may have been mad, but at least he wasn't  _that_ mad. Melissa did the same with Scott. When John released Stiles, he spotted Talia over his shoulder.

''Mrs Hale, to what do I owe the pleasure? I hope these two weren't causing you any trouble.''

She smiled politely. ''Of course not, Sheriff. If anything, I was causing  _them_ trouble. I wish to alleviate your worry, these two were in my house last night, safe. It's what caused them to end up there, that's brought me here. I need to have a discussion with you both,'' Her gaze flicked to Melissa, ''and Sheriff, it also concerns your murder case.''

It was at that that the Sheriff ushered Talia inside, closed and locked the front door behind her, and offered everyone (except Stiles) coffee. 

''Dad, before we tell you about this, I just want you to know that I'm safe, okay?'' Stiles told his dad, but Talia's grim expression told a different story.

''Stiles, why don't you and Scott start with what happened in the woods last week?'' She told him,  _told_ rather than  _asked._

Stiles and Scott shared a look, and Stiles started gushing.

''So basically, that night when you found me in the woods while looking for the second half of that body, dad, Scott  _was_ there with me-''

Scott interrupted. ''And I was stumbling around in the dark, trying to figure out how the hell to get home when I tripped over the second half of the body. I was totally freaked out, so I started running. Then this  _thing_ attacked me, left this huge ugly bite on my side. I got home eventually, and by the next morning, the bite was  _gone.''_

Stiles carried on. ''And that day after school we went back into the woods because Scott dropped his inhaler the night before, and we ran into Derek Hale, who told us that Scott was a  _werewolf_ , and then we didn't believe him so he showed us by half turning and we were freaking out, and then Derek  _knocks out_ Scott because Scott was kind of turning into a werewolf, and then Derek carries him back to the Hale house, because all that Hales are werewolves, well not  _all_ , and then Scott wakes up, and Talia tells us about werewolves.''

Talia seemed exasperated at their poor story-telling, but before she could tell them to shut up, Stiles carried on, apparently not noticing how John and Melissa were both staring at the three of them in horror and disbelief. 

''And then some other stuff happened. And then on Friday it was the full moon and I accidentally let Scott out, and then I had to chase him into the woods, and then we saw these hunters, who totally shot Scott with a crossbow, right? And then Derek shows up and distracts the Hunters, which was totally badass, and then I pull the crossbow bolt out of Scott, who's totally out of control because of the full moon. Then Scott tried to attack me, which I totally don't blame you for buddy, and then it turns out I am apparently  _magic,_ which is like, news to me. So I somehow shock Scott back to normal, and then he, I and Derek are pegging it around in the woods. We totally escaped the hunters and then we found the Hales.''

Stiles doesn't even seem to breathe, and John looks like he's going to be sick.

''And then Isaac Lahey was bitten, and then Erica Reyes was bitten, and then last night Vernon Boyd was bitten, which was why  _Scott_ was in the woods, and then Scott called me and told me what was going on and I was all  _gotta help Scott and make sure he doesn't die_ , so then  _I_ was in the woods. Then the alpha was totally chasing me, and then Isaac fought him off and got clawed up, and then I did this weird thing where I protected Isaac from the Alpha and told him to back off with my magic, and then he  _left,_ and then we found the Hales again and then we got Boyd to their house, and then we all fell asleep.''

When Stiles finally finished, John stood up and turned his back to them, rubbing his hands across his face and then up over the back of his head. Melissa looked incredibly pale. Talia rubbed her hand over the back of Stiles' head, and then explained the situation much more calmly and succinctly.

''Sheriff, Mrs McCall, I'm afraid this is all true. It is my pack's responsibility to take care of threats to Beacon Hills, and this time we have been failing to do so. I've failed to keep these two safe which is going to change, _now_ , and I am sorrier than you could possibly know _._ This monster will no longer be allowed to hurt anyone else, I am making sure of it.''

For what felt like an hour, everyone was silent. then Melissa spoke up.

''Werewolves?  _Seriously?''_  

The Sheriff turned around, just as Talia's eyes turned red and her teeth grew to points as hair spread down the sides of her face. Her hands that were clasped on the table twisted into claws. Melissa gasped and the Sheriff's hand came to rest on his gun at his waist. A second passed, and Talia returned to her human form.

Melissa dropped her head into her hands, and the Sheriff backed away a few steps. After a moment, he spoke.

''Jesus. Claudia never even... She knew, didn't she?''

He addressed Talia who nodded.

''I knew about the magic, but  _this?_ ''

Stiles stood up so quickly that his chair fell to the ground with a crack. ''You  _knew?_ You knew, and you didn't  _tell_ me?!'' 

Stiles' anger was obvious, and the room seemed to crackle slightly. The Sheriff rubbed his hands over his face again. 

''Yes, I knew. I'm sorry, kid. Your mom... She told me within the week we met. Said she knew I could be trusted with it. She also said  _you_ wouldn't have magic, which is why I never brought it up. I didn't think it was important.''

Stiles slumped slightly over the table, and then walked, subdued, over to his dad and wrapped him in a hug. As this was happening, Melissa fixed her gaze on Scott. ''Scotty, why didn't you just  _tell_ me?'' 

Scott glanced at Talia and then dropped his gaze in shame.  ''I'm sorry mom. I was just afraid that... You'd be scared, I guess.''

Her voice was full of amusement when she replied, and he looked up at her hopefully. ''Listen, kid, I raised you and put up with Stiles all these years. This? This is nothing.''

Her face broke into a grin and Scott launched himself around the table to hug her. She made a slightly pained sound and he recoiled. 

''Wow, you really  _are_ a werewolf. Be careful with your poor human mom, yeah? Although don't think I can't still run circles around you.'' 

Scott hugged her again, much more carefully this time. Then she seemed to remember something. ''You were  _shot?_ With a  _crossbow?!''_

Scott grinned sheepishly at her. ''Yeah... I kinda owe Stiles my life for getting me out of there actually.'' 

Melissa wrapped him in a much tighter hug. ''Jesus kid.''

John, releasing Stiles across the room, turned to Talia.''So this... Alpha? It's responsible for my half-corpse?''

''Yes.'' She replied. ''And I buried the other half. The victim was an Omega, a lone wolf without a pack, and it was our responsibility to put her to rest properly.''

John nodded, squeezing Stiles' shoulder. ''Okay. Okay. These kids, that were... Bitten. They're werewolves, yes? They won't be any trouble, you'll see to that?''

She nodded.

''Right. And what about my son? How does he fit into this?''

Talia smiled fondly at Stiles. ''Sheriff, your son has always had a place in my pack. Claudia was like a sister to me in the years that I knew her, and it was my final promise to her, that her son would be protected. We have a... Family friend that is able to teach Stiles about his abilities, safely. While it would be nice to keep Stiles safe and out of danger, I know full well, as I'm sure you do too, that there will be  _no_ keeping him out of the action, so to speak. I, and my pack will do our best to keep him safe as one of our own if he should choose to be so. If he doesn't choose that, he will still always be protected.''

Stiles looked up at his dad, who sighed. ''Okay. As much as I would also like to keep you out of this, you and I both know you're much too stubborn for that. I have conditions, however.''

Stiles nodded frantically. ''Anything, dad. Anything.''

''Well I want both myself, and Melissa, to be kept in the loop about  _everything_ that concerns you and Scott. I want you to be careful with what you can do. I was with your mother on all her bad days, and I know that things can go wrong. And last, Stiles, _stay the hell out of the woods,_  yeah?''

Stiles nodded. ''Yeah, dad. Okay.''

''Now go,'' John shooed him. ''take a shower, you smell like like crap.'' 

Stiles saluted him, told Scott that he'd see him at school, and then headed for the stairs.

''As for you, young man.'' Melissa told Scott, ''You are grounded for a _month_  for not telling me about this, except being at School, or the Hales'. Go wait in the car.'' 

Scott left the house, head low. In the absence of their children, Melissa and John turned to Talia. ''Our boys are safe, right?'' Melissa asked her.

''I will do everything in my power to keep them both out of harm's way.'' She reassured them.

 

\----

 

While Stiles, Scott and Cora were at school that day, the rest of Beacon Hills' werewolves were busy with various things. Peter had been tasked with watching the school, and Derek, obviously, had to be there too. Laura was busy explaining the ins and outs of werewolf dynamics to the Sheriff and teaching him how to take down a werewolf, should the situation so require.

Talia was at a neutral meeting with Rowan, his brother, and three Argents. She was well aware of the Argent daughter in the high school and had told Cora, Derek and Peter to be on the look out. 

The girl's father; Chris Argent, his wife Victoria, and his sister Kate all sat in front of her. The Argents weren't above threatening her pack, but when it came to her pack and especially it's children, she was not above such threats either.

Eventually, an uneasy, temporary, peace treaty was established, and both parties agreed to share any information they had on the alpha, for the sake of taking it down.

 

\----

 

When the high school let out that afternoon, a scowling Derek Hale was leaning against the bonnet of the Jeep, when Scott and Stiles walked towards it. 

''Sourwolf! What can I do you for?'' 

Stiles called from a hundred feet away. Scott shook his head and clapped Stiles on the shoulder as a goodbye, disappearing into the maze of cars. Derek grimaced at Stiles as he approached.

''Peter said that he was bored of babysitting teenagers. I have to come with you to Deaton's.'' 

Stiles groaned, throwing his hands up into the air.  ''Why! I don't  _need_ a chaperone!'' 

''Don't forget, little red-'' Derek smirked at him. ''Big bad's still out there somewhere.'' 

The use of the nickname had Stiles remembering the sleep-hazed end of the previous night, and in particular an exhausted hug with Derek Hale. Stiles flushed with embarrassment, avoided Derek's eyes, and climbed into the Jeep.

Derek was silent the whole way to Deaton's, although he kept throwing amused glances over at Stiles, which Stiles pointedly ignored. When they arrived Stiles jumped out of the Jeep and marched into the clinic without so much as a glance back at Derek.

When the mountain ash barrier swung closed to deny Derek access, he huffed and sat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the lobby area.

''Hey Doc,'' Stiles called, walking into the back of the clinic. 

''Stiles.'' Deaton greeted him, putting the finishing touches on a bandage around the leg of a sleepy beagle. ''Here, hold him for a second.'' Deaton deposited the drowsy pup into Stiles' arms. He cuddled and crooned over the cute little thing as Deaton quickly cleared up the supplies on the counter. Stiles' mouth pulled down in disappointment when Deaton scooped up the dog and took him through the door into the back of the room.

When Deaton returned, Stiles was leaning on the table in the middle of the room, watching the doorway through which Derek sat. 

''Talia informed me of what happened last night,'' Deaton said, and Stiles' attention snapped up to him.

''She did? Well then maybe  _you_ can tell  _me_ , because  _I_ don't even know what the hell happened.'' 

Instead of answering, as usual, Deaton asked a cryptic question.

''You were exhausted afterwards, is that right?'' 

Stiles thought back to his awkward affectionate moment with Derek and nodded in agreement, and _swore_ he heard Derek huff amusedly in the other room.

''Yes, as I thought. You'll find that every magic user has... Roots in different types of magic. That their magic grows differently. You have magic that lies in protection, in loving and being loved.''

Stiles nodded, ''Okaaaaay... How do you know?''

''Another magic user might have blown Scott's face off that first night. Another might have ripped the breath from the rogue alpha. You fight to protect those around you.''

''As for last night,'' Deaton told him, ''that was quite... Extraordinary. It seems Mr Lahey will be under your authority from now on. It would seem you are now his alpha.''

'' _What?!''_ Stiles' flail sent a nearby potted plant crashing to the floor, the sound of smashing ceramic echoing around the room.

Deaton gave him a dry look. ''What you did was truly something I could not have foreseen happening. You manipulated your magic in such a way that made you... a human alpha. You staked a claim over him, that will not be so easily broken.''

''I _can_ break it though, right? I don't want to be anyone's alpha.''

Stiles could feel his heart pounding, and curled his fists around the crackle that danced on his palms. 

''I suppose it may be possible, but at this time, I wouldn't recommend it. As it is now, the alpha does not have any hold over Mr Lahey, however, should you break that claim, he will be at the alpha's mercy.''

''But, but couldn't Talia just, 'claim' Isaac?''

''It's not that simple, Mr Stilinski. What you did was a rare thing, even among actual alphas. That kind of claim is born in the heat of anger, and dire need to  _protect._ Truly it is a commendation to your protective nature. You could only have done what you did, in the situation you did it. This was born from your care for Mr Lahey and your need to protect him, not only from the alpha. It is quite a brotherly bond you have forged, and you will both benefit from it in the future. My advice is to not keep away from Mr Lahey for too long. As a werewolf, and a new one at that, he is more exposed to the instincts of pack, it will upset him to be apart from you, not that he will know  _why.''_

Stiles stood on the spot as Deaton walked back into the back room to do something. He mulled over the situation. Part of him was pleased, and a little bit proud. Another part of him, that he was not so tuned into, strained to be around  _pack._  

''You still have to clear that up!'' Deaton called from the back room.

Stiles looked down at the mess in question. There was a small waste bin just outside the doorway and he grabbed it, then imagined the soil and broken ceramic shards moving into the metal bucket. When he opened his eyes, sure enough, the mess was off of the floor.

Having drawn the power from himself, however, he immediately felt drowsy and leant heavily on the counter. Deaton came back in and surveyed this scene, and then rolled his eyes.

''You'll be of no use now. Go to your pack Mr Stilinski, and I will see you soon.'' 

Stiles gave him a questionable thumbs up and then stumbled out of the room. He pretty much fell over the barrier, but luckily Derek was there to catch him. He looked up at Derek, eyes half closed, and mumbled something incoherent. 

Derek chuckled a rather pleasant sound and pulled Stiles' arm around his shoulder so that he could bear some of his weight.

''A human alpha claim, huh? I'm impressed. For someone so tiny, you have real potential.''

Stiles tried to say something along the lines of, 'I'm not that small!', but it came out as more of a slur and he gave up trying to speak. Derek helped him into the passenger side of the Jeep after stealing his keys from the pocket of his hoodie.

''C'mon little red, let's get you home.''

Stiles was too far gone to notice, but the place Derek called his home was not the Stilinski residence, but instead the Hale one.

 

\----

 

Stiles woke an hour or so later on a couch in the Hales' living room to the smell of food. He roused with a groan and a banging headache. He pulled himself upright to see his dad sitting opposite him, watching him carefully.

''Hey dad.'' He muttered, gripping his throbbing temples.

''Hey kiddo. Derek said you did a number on yourself.''

''It wasn't  _that_ bad! All I did was clean up a broken pot plant. Can't believe I passed out.''

His dad smiled fondly. ''Your mom passed out once or twice when I first met her. Said her magic was tiring.''

Stiles looked up at his dad. He'd heard more about his mom from his dad today than he had at all in the last six months.

''Here.'' His dad passed him a glass of water and an aspirin, which he took gladly.

''DINNER!'' Laura shouted from the next room, and Stiles gripped his head.

''That's my queue to get outta here.'' His dad stood and clapped him on the shoulder.

''You're not staying?'' Stiles asked. His dad shook his head.

''I don't think I'm ready for dinner in the wolves' den yet kid.'' He smiled and let himself out. Stiles stood up slowly and dragged himself into the kitchen. He waved hello to the various Hales at the other end of the room, and slumped into a chair next to Scott. Isaac, Erica and Boyd all sat opposite him, watching him. 

''Hey guys.'' He said quietly, raising a hand in greeting.

They all greeted him back, Isaac especially so. Stiles addressed him. ''So, apparently, I'm your, like... wolf dad now?''

Isaac gave him a small smile. ''I guess so. S'pose I should thank you.''

Stiles waved him off. ''Don't worry bout it bro.''

Before anyone could say anything else, a steaming plate of food was put in front of Stiles and his full attention was on it. He glances up at Laura who had put it in front of him, and mumbled a quiet ''Love ya Laur' '' before cramming his face full.

''So how're you doing?'' Stiles asked Boyd a while later, when his words would be lost to everyone else's ears in the noise of the table.

Boyd nodded. ''Okay, I think. I should thank you, for getting me back here. I get the impression that these three-'' He gestured to Isaac, Erica and Scott, almost fondly, ''- were in a bit of a state.'' 

Stiles grinned at him. ''Yeah, they were, and no need. It's crazy man, good luck.''

Boyd grinned back briefly, before Erica caught his attention. Stiles looked around the table, smiling, and caught Derek's eye. He raised his drink to Derek, and then to his lips. Derek smirked at him, and then turned his attention elsewhere.

Stiles ignored the feeling in his stomach. 

When the loud, messy, and thoroughly enjoyable dinner was over, Stiles started yawning. 

''God, I'm exhausted all the time now.'' He told Scott who rolled his eyes. 

''You're  _always_ tired dude.'' 

''Sure. You ready to go?'' 

''Yeah.''

They got up from the table, at which they were the last still seated. Stiles stuck his head into the kitchen to thank Laura and Talia for dinner and they waved him off. 

He brushed passed Peter in the dining room on his way to the living room, and he barely even noticed Peter's hand on his shoulder. Derek and Cora were seated in the livivng room and he mussed Cora's hair and clapped Derek on the shoulder before following Scott into the hallway.

Erica ran her hand across the back of his neck as he walked by her, and Boyd's hand skimmed his shoulder. Isaac hugged him on the way out. 

He and Scott climbed into the Jeep. 

Despite being tired, Stiles felt satitated and completely content. 

As he drove, all he could think about was Talia's words from that morning. 

'' _Your son has always had a place in my pack.''_

 _Pack._ He thought. He'd never really considered himself part of anything, really, before. 

 _Pack._ He definitely liked the idea.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Feedback and Comments are greatly appreciated. :)


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Derek have a magical mishap and new danger is brought upon Stiles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback and comments are really appreciated :)

Thursday found Stiles sitting in front of Erica Reyes in a mind-numbing English class, being pelted by tiny balls of paper. She was doing it because he'd deflected a couple with his magic, and she was clearly hoping for a show. He was already feeling drowsy from using magic, so he wasn't planning on doing it again, but she was clearly intent on low-key torturing him.

Things were different now. When Erica and Isaac had returned to the school that day, it had been as almost completely new people. Now that her epilepsy was gone, Erica had gained so much confidence that Stiles was jealous. She'd marched into the school with Isaac on her arm, both wearing new, expensive looking leather jackets. Erica was wearing the shortest skirt Stiles had ever seen, with her lips bright red and her hair curled to perfection, and she was putting Lydia Martin to shame. All eyes were on her, and for once, it was  _good_ attention. 

Isaac was more confident too, when they walked the hallways and laughed together, but Stiles still noticed how he shied into himself when he thought people weren't looking. Stiles was sure it was to do with how his father was treating him, but he hoped that maybe having a pack and an alpha could bring Isaac some justice and some peace.

They all sat together at lunch that day, crowded together on a picnic bench near the lacrosse field that they had claimed. Stiles sat sideways on the bench with his legs over Erica's lap and resting in Scott's, with his arm resting against Isaac's legs where he was sitting cross-legged on the table next to Cora. Stiles used his spare arm to sporadically steal skittles from the bag propped between his leg and Erica. 

''How's Boyd doing?'' Stiles asked Erica during a lull in the conversation. She nodded around a mouthful of skittles. She pulled her phone out from down the front of her shirt and tapped on it briefly. Stiles' phone buzzed.

 

**_> From Unknown Number_ **

**Hey Batman its Reyes**

** Boyd Contact  
**

** Isaac Contact **

 

''Boyd's fine.'' She said, and Stiles nodded in acknowledgement. He saved the numbers to his phone quickly. ''Who gave you my number?'' He asked.

''Cora.'' Erica answered, at the same time that Cora said, ''Me.''

''Oh good.'' He smirked. ''I thought you were stalking me.''

She snorted. ''Not likely. You're hot, Batman, but you're not  _that_ hot.'' 

They all snickered and Stiles felt his neck, face and ears flushing dark red. 

''Oh yeah, that reminds me. My mom wants everyone at our house after school today.'' Cora told them while leaning over to steal skittles from Erica's bag.

''What for?'' Scott asked. Stiles found himself resenting the slight hostility in Scott's voice.

''Training, I guess,'' Cora told them, tipping skittles into her mouth. 

Stiles just hoped he wouldn't have to wrestle with wolves.

 

\----

 

Stiles asked Scott to ride with Cora after school that day. He asked Isaac to ride with him, and Isaac readily agreed. A few minutes into their journey, Stiles steeled himself.

''Isaac, are you... Okay?'' 

Isaac didn't say anything and as they stopped at a red light, Stiles looked over at him. He was twisting his hands in his lap and staring down at them. Stiles knew that no matter his answer, the real answer was no. 

''I- Yeah...''

''Are you sure?'' 

Isaac nodded, but Stiles saw how he blinked tears away. As much as he could in his  _stupid_ car, Stiles reached over and hugged Isaac, who hid his face is Stiles' shoulder. 

''You don't have to tell me, Isaac, but if you want to, you can.''

Isaac nodded and Stiles pulled back as the light changed. Isaac wiped his face on his sleeve, and Stiles started driving again. 

They met the others at the Hale house five minutes later. Erica ran over and jumped at Stiles. He  _just_  managed to brace himself as she landed on his back, and he pulled his hands up to hook around her knees. It was probably the most coordinated thing Stiles had ever managed successfully. 

''Onward, noble steed!'' She shouted and he ran, as much as he could, across the grass in front of the Hale house. Eventually, he groaned.

''Man, I gotta put you down Catwoman.'' 

She hopped off of his back and ran over to assault Isaac in some way. Boyd came down from where he'd been waiting on the porch and Erica bounced over to wrap him in a hug. 

''Hey man, how're you doing?'' Stiles asked. Boyd nodded over to him.

''Okay, I think. I haven't been struggling too much, according to these guys anyway.'' He gestured at the house over his shoulder.

The six of them poured into the house, laughing about something or other and dumping their school bags near the front door before entering the kitchen. Rowan was sat at the far end of the long table, pouring over stacks of papers and books, frowning and pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose now and again. 

When he heard them enter he stood, his work forgotten, and his expression relaxed as he left his glasses on the table.

"Welcome back kids. Everyone's out back if you're ready to join them." 

Stiles peered out of the kitchen window before following the others outside. Deaton was there, meaning Stiles was probably about to get tortured. 

Peter was stood closest to the back door when Stiles emerged, and he ruffled Stiles' hair before slipping back inside the house. Stiles turned his attention to the werewolves. It was unclear what they'd all been doing before he'd arrived, but now they were milling around, waiting for something.

"Right!" Talia called, and everyone automatically circled around her. Peter came back too, dropping the cooler he was carrying onto the decking near the back door and then joining everyone else. 

"Everyone is managing very well, given the circumstances. However, there are new threats arising and we need to able to protect ourselves, not just as individuals, but as a pack. We are a unit, and we need to learn how to work like one. Peter, if you would."

As his sister's second, Peter was the strategist, and things such us this were down to him. He rubbed his hands together.

"Right. Threes, please, and no full shifts. I want two working to take down one. The pairs can work on working together, the loners can work on working alone, just in case. If a loner is pinned for ten seconds, the pair wins. If one of the pairs is pinned for five seconds, the loner wins. Everyone understand?" 

There were nods and general agreements from around the circle.

"Then let's go." 

Isaac was dragged away by Laura and Cora, and Stiles was impressed by the lack of fear in his eyes because god knows Stiles would've been crapping himself.

Derek grabbed hold of Scott and Erica followed, grinning at Scott with pointed teeth.

Peter clapped Boyd on the shoulder, claiming him as part of his team, and Rowan's brother followed, eyeing Peter.

Stiles watched, feeling a tiny bit like the last kid to be picked for sports teams at school when Deaton came over to him. 

"Mr Stilinski, there's something that I would like for you to try. Talia, if you would?"

Talia approached Stiles as if he were prey, and his knees shook, just a little bit.

"Mr Stilinski, I want you to try and hold her back, however, I want you to draw the power from outside of yourself."

Stiles was pretty sure he'd gone white with fear, but he nodded regardless. He was probably going to die.

Talia's face melted to its half shifted form, and her eyes bled red as they landed on Stiles. 

" _Shit_ "

He whispered, and then she pounced. Despite the fact that he didn't move at all, Stiles through his whole body against Talia. She was pushed back, just a tiny bit, and then made to take another step.

Stiles didn't know what source of power his magic had locked onto, but it filled his body with heat and adrenalin and he couldn't stop taking.

He raised his hands, and in his mind built a wall between them, almost like mountain ash but of his own making. In his mind, it was bright blue and rippled as his magic-filled it with energy. 

Talia pushed against it, but it held. Stiles was _sure_ it would falter when she threw her weight against it, snarling, but Stiles kept pulling and pulling power from the mysterious source. 

He was distracted by a cry behind him, which was muffled by the roaring of blood in his ears. He dropped the wall as he turned, and Talia did not move onto him.

What had first been a cry of victory from Erica and Scott, had turned into a cry of horror. Stiles could see as he looked between them, Derek lying on the ground. But he wasn't pinned, he was unconscious.

All the power dissipated from within Stiles, and he stepped forward, eyes wide with horror. Surely this couldn't have been his doing?

"What happened?" Talia asked, her face melting back to normal as she strode over to her unconscious son. Erica shook her head, eyes wide.

"I don't- he was _destroying_  us, but then we started winning, I thought he was just going easy on us! Then we had him pinned, but instead of fighting us, he passed out!"

Stiles knees almost gave out, and he grabbed onto Peter's arm, as he was the closest, to brace himself.

"You okay kid?" He asked quietly. Stiles shook his head, feeling the bile rising in his throat. Before he could speak his suspicions, he started throwing up. Hurting someone else with his magic was quite literally his worst nightmare.

He ran a few feet behind Peter before he completely emptied his stomach with some pretty horrible noises that had everyone's attention on him. 

Completely drained, he collapsed on his back next to his own puke.

"C'mon kid, let's get you up." Peter pulled Stiles' arm across his shoulder and grabbed his waist to haul him upright. Stiles' head spun. Most of the attention had turn back to the unconscious Derek, but a few wolves eye Stiles.

Peter helped Stiles up onto the decking by the house where he sat against the wall. 

"Here." Peter fished a bottle of water out of the cooler and handed it to Stiles.

"Thanks." He murmured, pouring cold water past his lips.

Talia had scooped up Dere, which would've looked amusing in some other circumstance because Derek was so much bigger and heavier than her. She set him down next to Stiles, who wrestled off his jacket to put under his head. 

Deaton came and told them that Derek shouldn't be unconscious for too long, and Talia bent down to press a kiss on the top of Stiles' head, before re-joining the rest of her pack.

Stiles stared down at the unconscious Derek. When he was using his magic he should have been more _careful_  about what he was doing. Now, look at what he'd done. 

Then he had an idea, about how to get Derek to wake up faster. He carefully lifted Derek's head and scooted over so that Derek's head was in his lap. Ever so carefully, he imagined sparks of energy, flowing through his fingers and into Derek's chest. 

Derek huffed when he did this, which Stiles took as a good sign.

The rest of the pack regrouped in front of them, and started something similar to before but in teams on two on two instead. While keeping an eye on Derek, Stiles watched his packmates carefully. 

He noticed how Erica always went straight for her opponant's neck, leaving herself wide open for any kind of defensive swing. He noticed how Scott worked well with Laura, but he and Cora devolved to fighting amongst themselves. He noticed how Isaac was _fast,_ maybe faster than any of them, but was timid in his attacks. He noticed how Boyd had overwhelming strength, and how he was already incredibly disciplined. 

"ttle' red?" 

Derek stirred beneath Stiles' hands and he turned all his attention to him.

"Sourwolf, you're finally awake, you lazy thing." 

Derek snorted quietly and then opened his eyes slowly. "What did you _do_ to me red?" _  
_

Stiles' hands fluttered a little across Derek's chest. "I'm so sorry." He mumbled. "I was trying to use magic, and.. and- I don't even know.'' Derek didn't seem mad or upset, but Stiles suspected he was too weak to. "See, red? I told you, you had potential."

Stiles was secretly glad that Derek was too out of it to really question him. Stiles _didn't_  want to think about why he'd somehow latched onto _Derek_ , of everyone there. 

 Of course, this meant that he was going to  _have_ to. They sat like that for ten minutes more or so, then Derek seemed to have the energy to sit up. They watched their pack for another good forty minutes or so, sitting in silence against the back wall of the house. 

When Talia ended the session and everyone disbanded, she and Deaton trapped Stiles before he could make a run for it. 

''Mr Hale, Mr Stilinski, I'm afraid the four of us need to have a talk.'' 

Stiles blinked at Deaton from where he'd been  _so_ close from running away from the situation, and Derek was still sat against the house, looking slightly pale.''

''Right. Sure. Okay.'' 

Stiles muttered as he went over to help Derek up. Derek didn't really  _need_ the help, but he appreciated it anyway. They stood, shoulder to shoulder, and Stiles was bracing himself for a lecture, and worst case, as ass kicking.

''I was worried that this might happen,'' Deaton told them.

'' _What?!"_ Stiles practically howled, filled with indignation. ''You  _knew_ this might happen?! Why didn't you tell me? I could've  _killed_  Derek, for fuck's sake!''

he winced after having sworn so loudly and violently in front of Talia, but both she and Deaton remained stone-faced. 

''I don't believe that would've happened,'' Deaton told him matter-of-factly.

''Why?'' Stiles retorted. 

Deaton ignored him and addressed Derek instead. ''Mr Hale. It would appear that Mr Stilinski's magic has latched onto you. As you have seen, this can be dangerous in some circumstances.''

Derek remained quiet.

''How do I un-do it?'' Stiles asked, but somewhere in his gut, he already knew the answer.

''You can't.'' 

Stiles felt like he'd been punched in the chest. Derek remained silent, and Stiles snarled at Deaton. '' _What?!''_

Deaton, as always, remained unaffected. ''I'm afraid so. I know this is hardly the ideal way for this information to be revealed, however...'' He shared a meaningful look with Talia, ''The mate bond always presents itself powerfully. Mr Stilinski, it would appear that you forcefully awoke that bond, while, calling for help, so to speak. Derek was simply unable to process that bond this time. It's not unusual for witches to experience such difficulties.'' 

He slowly ticked over what Deaton had said, avoiding Derek's sharp gaze and refusing to consider the soft gap he'd heard from the older boy. ''Why didn't you  _warn_ me this might happen?!'' 

''Mr Stilinski, I'm afraid had I  _known_ this would happen, there would've been nothing I could do to stop it-''

Stiles made a loud, angry sound and threw his hands up into the air. Without looking at any of them he marched past Deaton, and started running as soon as he was around the corner of the house and out of sight. He was sure  _someone_ was probably watching from the house as he sprinted to the Jeep, but he didn't care. He was no good at dealing with his own emotions, usually it was so much easier, pushing through fear, hiding sadness or anger away. Now, he felt like his soul had been to torn open to be put on display.

He climbed into the Jeep, started the engine, and tore down the dirt road as quickly as the rickety engine would allow. His phone started buzzing in his pocket, and with one hand, without slowing down he ripped it out of his pocket, turned it off and threw it down on the passengers seat. 

At first he planned to go straight home, but the prospect of facing his dad was too much. He changed direction and sped towards the centre of town. Five blurry minutes later and he found himself parking on the side of the street and straight into the icecream parlour he used to frequent with him mom as a kid. He hadn't been in here in eight years, but it hadn't changed a smidge.  

Sitting in a booth at the back of the shop, occupied by a sundae that was almost as big as his head, and wallowing in his sadness, the bell over the door chimed and he looked up.

The first thing he saw was a flash of dark hair, and then recognised Allison Argent and her scary, murdery father. She seemed to recognise him, despite having barely said two words to him, and waved across the shop. He raised his hand in response. Her father's eyes were on him, and he dropped his gaze to his icecream, heart racing horribly. When he looked back up a few minutes later, Allison and her dad were occupied, but the woman with yellow hair and a cruel gaze that had come in with them had her eyes on Stiles. She made him uneasy, right down to his core, and he couldn't help but feel like something was very, very  _wrong._

He tried to seem occupied by his icecream, but he couldn't help the uneasy crackle of his magic. He  _really_ hoped that no one else had noticed. When he looked up, however, the blonde woman was  _grinning_ at him. She winked and Stiles' heart jumped into his throat. He abandoned his sunday and headed for the door. 

When he looked over his shoulder at the Argents, the woman with the blonde hair blew a kiss to him, and it felt like a promise.

 

 ----

 

He decided to cut his losses after that and headed home.

His dad's cruiser was missing from the driveway when he rolled up, and he was immediately struck with guilt at the relief that washed over him.

He stood in the kitchen, leaning against the side with his hands braced there, for a few minutes. Then, with a rush of anger that didn't all feel his own, he swept the dish rack onto the floor, taking two days worth of dishes with it. He stood there for a minute, breathing heavily. He hadn't  _asked_ for this. He hadn't  _asked_ for all this werewolf bullshit. He hadn't  _asked_ for all this  _magic_ bullshit. And he most  _certainly_ hadn't  _asked_ to be magically bonded to Derek's Hale's wolfy ass.

''Shit.'' 

He got on his knees and started sweeping shard of ceramic and glass together.

'' _Fuck!'_ ' 

A particularly nasty chunk of glass had cut from the middle of his right palm to the side of his hand. It was pretty deep too. He  _refused_ to go to Melissa because then he'd have to tell her  _why_ he was smashing plates, and then he'd have to tell his  _dad_ , and then Scott, and everyone else. He didn't know if the pack had heard what had happened, but if they didn't know, he was going to keep it that way.

He grabbed a dish towel from the side and wrapped it around his palm. With his hand tucked under his left armpit, he clumsily cleaned up the rest of the broken kitchenware, being careful not to slice himself up further. When it was all cleaned up he headed for the bathroom.

Thankfully years of Stiles' self-induced clumsy injuries, the bathroom cabinet was stocked with bandages and antiseptics. He gingerly unwrapped his hand. I hadn't stopped bleeding. He ran it under water, hissing. After a minute he pulled it out and took a look. Before it started bleeding again, he could tell it was quite deep, but he was  _pretty_ sure he didn't need stitches.

He cleaned the cut with antiseptic, cussing like a sailor the whole time, and then put gauze over it carefully. He wrapped his hand in a bandage and then thought about how he was going to hide it from his dad.

 

\----

 

Stiles more or less went into hiding for the next four days. When Friday morning came he faked a cough and his dad let him stay home. He felt guilty, but he'd rather do this than face his friends. His dad made him turn his phone on so he could call and check-up, but this meant that Stiles had to face the onslaught of texts and missed calls.

_**> From Scotty ** _

**dude what just happened**

**dude?**

**okay its been an hour whats happening**

**are you okay?**

**no one will tell me anything!**

**text me when you get this**

**why aren't you in school dude?**

**Harris is a dick**

 

**_> Missed Call From Scotty (3)_ **

 

**_> Missed Call From Catwoman (1)_ **

 

**_> From Catwoman_ **

**You okay Batman?**

**Silinski, what's going on?**

**Talk to me!**

**Fine, see you at school.**

**Where are you?**

**STILES!**

**> _Cora H._ _  
_**

**Stilinski whats going on**

**No on will talk to us!**

**Derek is not talking**

**like more than usual**

**what did you do to him?**

**is this about him fainting?**

 

_**> From Laura H** _

**Stiles, what just happened?**

**My mom just told us to leave Derek alone, so this must be serious.**

**Are you okay?**

**I'm here if you want to talk.**

 

**> _Missed Call From Laura H (2)_**

 

_**> From Isaac L** _

**Are you okay?**

 

Stiles buried his phone under his pillow and stared up at his ceiling. Various other texts and missed calls trickled through over the next three days, and even his dad was relaying messages. When his dad asked if everything was okay with his friends, he just said his phone was laying up. Guilt hit him again. 

It wasn't until Sunday morning that he realised he'd missed Scott's lacrosse game. Talia had cleared him to play, on the condition that he quit the team should anything go wrong. He'd been  _so_ excited. And Stiles had missed it. 

He managed to maintain his radio silence until school had finished on Monday. He was contemplating getting in the shower when a knock came at the window and he almost crapped himself. He flinched around to see Erica's face peering in his window.

He walked over to it and slid it open.

''What are you doing here?''

''We miss you!'' Isaac's voice came from behind Erica. Stiles sighed.

''Come in.'' He stood back. Isaac and Erica dropped through his window with Boyd in tow. Stiles plopped down in the middle of his bed and the three of them sat with him, backs against the wall. Isaac was pressed against Stiles' left side, Erica to his right, and Boyd on Erica's other side.

''You smell like blood,'' Erica observed. Isaac's face crumpled with concern. Stiles raised his right hand and she grabbed it.

''Ow!'' 

She unwound the bandage on his hand and he hissed the s air got in it. It had  _finally_ stopped bleeding and was now getting crispy with the starts of a scab. 

''What  _happened?!''_ she hissed. He groaned and pulled his hand back.

''Evil plates.'' He grumbled, winding his hand back up again, messily. Erica huffed at him.

''You need to be more careful! Can't you just like, magic it better?''

Stiles considered this. He hadn't even considered it. He looked at his bandaged hand... And then remembered why he'd been hiding. He shook his head.

''Why have you been hiding from us?'' Isaac asked a minute later. He sounded  _hurt_ , and Stiles felt like he'd been punched again. Dammit.

''I'm sorry. I've been really sick.''

''You don't  _smell_ sick.'' Erica almost snapped at him. He should've known this would happen.

''I'm... I'm getting my shit together. I'll be back with it tomorrow.''

Erica huffed again, angrily. ''Whatever. I don't have time for lies.'' She hopped up from his bed and disappeared through the window. Boyd shot Stiles a sympathetic look and then went after her.

Stiles and Isaac sat silently for a few minutes.

''I'm sorry.'' Stiles told him.

''The Police came and took my dad this morning.'' Isaac said quietly. 

Stiles looked up at him sharply and then sat bolt upright to face him. Isaac looked up at him slowly. Stiles pulled him into a hug. When he let Isaac go, he was surprised, and slightly proud at the expression of steely determination on his face.

''The police said that there had been reports and that they'd found evidence of- of what he'd been... Doing to me. I have to go down to the station this evening, but Talia already came and said she'd take me in.''

Stiles listened and then waited to see if Isaac would say anything else.

''Do you... Do you want me to come with you?''

Isaac looked up at him hopefully. ''Would you?'' 

Stiles smiled. ''Of course dude. But you're gonna have to let me shower first because I smell  _rank.''_

Isaac wrinkled his nose, looking amused. ''Yeah, you _do.''_

 

_\----_

 

Derek felt like he was losing his mind. It had been  _four days_ since everything had happened, and he was still reeling. 

It had been the strangest thing when he'd felt himself growing more tired and weaker as he wrestled around in the mud with Erica and Scott. When he'd woken up with his head in Stiles' lap, he'd been too tired to freak out, but he felt it building.

When Deaton had dropped his bombshell, Derek had been a little shell-shocked. Of all the weird shit that was happening, this was quite possibly the weirdest- Stiles was his _mate?_ He'd been lead to believe mate bonds were rarer than that; his parents were a rare case- Even Peter and Samantha didn't have quite the same connection between them. He'd never expected this. What had made the situation worse was how Stiles had started shouting, and then stormed off without even  _looking_ at Derek. All Derek could think, was that maybe there was something  _wrong._ His wolf prowled just beneath the surface, demanding he go and find and claim his mate right  _now_ , but he pushed it down- He wouldn't insult his upbringing by losing control now.

Then later that day he'd felt this bizarre tingling along his skin, that he just assumed was Stiles, but still weirded him out. He felt another flash of it soon after that, but it was hot, like rage. After that, there was nothing. 

And there had been  _nothing_ for four days. Even the new betas were starting to smell sour with anger and disappointment as Stiles avoided them and skipped school. 

Derek didn't know what to think. At first, he'd been mad that he'd been bound to a teenager like this, but then _he_ was a teenager. He was luckier than many other wolves, and, he knew from his mother's reassurances, that it would all be okay. 

But then Stiles had disappeared, for  _four days._ And it didn't feel okay anymore.

 

\----

 

''Are you okay?'' Stiles asked Isaac.

They'd just returned to Stiles' house, after spending an hour and a half at the station. luckily they hadn't  _seen_ Isaac's father, but the whole situation had been pretty difficult anyway. As people asked him questions and he was asked to write statements, Isaac's hands shook. Stiles squeezed his arm or hand or rubbed a hand across his back, and Isaac gave him watery smiles and carried on. 

Talia had been there too, to support Isaac and finalise with the police that she would become Isaac's official carer. She had all but blanked Stiles, asides from a nod in greeting. Stiles had bit his lip and looked away. 

His Dad had been all over the situation too, making the process much quicker than it would've been normally. 

Talia offered to take Isaac to the Hale house when they finally got out of the station, but he told her that he wanted to spend some time with Stiles. He nodded gracefully and drove away.

''I'm better than I thought I would be.'' Isaac told h , after he asked. Isaac didn't want to continue on the subject, so Stiles distracted him.

''Have you played the newest Smashbros?''

Isaac shook his head, and Stiles dragged him away.

Isaac spent the night at Stiles' that night, rather than return to the Hales'. Stiles' dad had agreed and said that Isaac could sleep on the sofa, but just as soon as his dad had gone upstairs, Stiles dragged Isaac up to his room. He didn't want Isaac to be alone tonight. They fell asleep, sides pressed together, and Stiles lay awake, hating himself from avoiding the pack. 

 

\----

 

The next morning, Stiles leant a shirt to Isaac, which he suspected wouldn't be returned, but didn't really mind. Just as they were about to leave the house, Stiles' phone rang.

''I'll catch up with you.'' He told Isaac as he answered the call.

'' _Peter. What's wrong?''_

'' _Would you like a list? My nephew is moping all over the place because he thinks you're rejecting him, the rest of the pack is getting restless because of it, and I_ swear _if I hear Erica Reyes huff one more time I'm going postal.''_

'' _Derek thinks that?!''_

'' _Of course that's all you heard.''_ Peter sighed. '' _The point is Stilinski, you fucked up. And you need to fix it.''_

The call ended and Stiles stared down at his phone. _Shit._

He left the house to find Isaac, and started plotting.

 

 ----

 

''Erica, I'm  _sorry!''_  Stiles shouted down the corridoor after her. He'd tried to talk to her at the end of the lesson they shared, but she'd flounced away angrily. 

She slowly came to a stop. She looked at him, expectantly. He sighed, and guessed he was going to have to let the cat out of the bag.

''You willing to ditch? I have to tell you something.''

They all stared at him in disbelief as he finished explaining what had happened with Derek and his magic. 

''That's heavy dude.'' Scott told him, rubbing his hands together anxiously. Stiles agreed. Cora, for once, stayed silent.

''I'm sorry, Batman.'' Stiles' found his mouth full of curly blonde hair as Erica wrapped him in a rib crushing hug. 

''Before you say anything, any of you... I'm going to fix things with Derek. It may be an... unusual situation, but it was unfair of me to bail like that.'' 

 All of them nodded in agreement, but none of them seemed upset or mad.

''GROUP HUG!'' Erica announced, and Stiles was wrapped with five pairs of arms.

 

\----

 

When they all arrived at the Hale house that afternoon, Stiles' stomach was wrapping itsself into knots, with anxiety he wasn't entirely sure was all his own, but he was prepared to talk to Derek and accept responsibility for being a shit friend and person.

When they entered the house however, the Hales were sat around the table, around Derek. Stiles couldn't smell their emotions or whatever, but he could tell something was wrong.

''Chris Argent, the hunter who attacked you in the woods,'' Laura adressed Stiles. ''He and his sister Kate, attacked Derek.''

Stiles eyes found Derek immediatley and he dove forward, without meaning to. He managed, barely, to stop himself from snathcing up Derek's hands. He seemed okay, physically. ''Shit, are you okay?'' He asked, as the other voiced their various concerns.

Derek's eyes were on him. ''It's not me I'm worried about. That's not all that happened.''

Stiles stared at him. He hadn't realised how much he'd _missed_ him. Magical mate connection or not. It was then that he noticed that everyone sat at the table was staring at him. 

''What?''

''Kate Argent,'' Derek told him grimly through gritted teeth, ''had a message. She said, 'Tell your little Witch, I'll be seeing him real soon.' '' 

 

 


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Argents make their move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a couple of nasty bits in this chapter so if that's not your thing, you have been warned :)

Stiles was sat in the living room of the Hale house with his head in his hands. He should have been more  _careful._ He looked up when he heard footsteps, and saw Derek approaching him. Derek sat on the couch next to him and didn't say anything.

''Please, tell me I'm a horrible person. Tell me you hate me. Tell me it's my fault that the Argents are gunning for me, along with everyone else in this freaking town.'' He didn't look at Derek.

''I'm not going to tell you that.'' He could  _hear_ the frown in Derek's voice. ''You don't really believe that do you?''

Stiles glanced up at him, checking if he was sincere. ''I don't know. I shouldn't have disappeared.''

''That's true,'' Derek told him, earnestly. ''The pack needs you and... You need the pack. You shouldn't have run out on me- _us_ , but I'm not mad.''

Stiles looked up at him hopefully. ''You mean it?''

Derek's face was open and honest when he nodded, and Stiles felt a huge weight lifting from his chest. ''Yeah, I do.''

Derek then noticed his injured hand. ''What did you do to yourself?'' He asked, face crinkling and reaching for Stiles' palm. When he moved his hand, Stiles hissed in pain.

''Kitchen related incident.'' He told Derek, carefully unwinding the bandage. The cut didn't look great, but at least it hadn't gotten infected.

''Why didn't you just heal it?'' Derek asked, concerned. 

Stiles shrugged. ''Didn't really know how''

Derek looked at him, eyes blazing, clearing smelling something in his scent. ''Stiles, this is  _important._  You're only human. You need to keep yourself safe when we can't, don't be afraid of yourself. Remeber, it lies in protection, in loving and being loved- you can't be afraid of something that is _you._ '' Stiles looked at him. It was the most eloquent thing he'd heard Derek say in the time he'd known him. ''How'd you know that?'' He looked back down at his hand, and slowly starting willing it to heal. A minute passed. ''It's not working.'' He told Derek.

''My mom.''

Stiles looked back down at his hand, and slowly starting willing it to heal. A minute passed. ''It's not working.'' He told Derek.

Derek gave him a sas little look that he couldn't understand, and carefully, almost tenderly, wrapped his hand back up. Stiles paled and almost ripped his hand away, when the veins in Derek's hands and forearms started turning black. ''What the  _hell?!"'_  

''It's okay.'' Derek told him. 'I'm taking some of your pain.'' Stiles looked down at his hand, which, sure enough, had stopped hurting.

''I... Don't know why I'm even surprised.''

Stiles thought that maybe he could get lost in that small smile of Derek's.

 

\----

 

''What are we going to do?'' Peter asked his sister. Usu, lly he was eager to add some unecessary remark, but now he was worried. He'd considered the situation with the Argents long and hard, and he didn't know  _what to do._  

''I didn't want it to come to this.'' She told him with a long-suffering sigh, tucking her hair behind her ears and leaning against the heavy desk behind which he sat. ''I've tried to keep things diplomatic with the Argents, but now? You and I both know that Kate and Gerard Argent aren't going to let us live, not now they know about Stiles.''

She looked around the study at the walls covered in rare books as if one of them would spring forward and provide the perfect solution. ''Chris and his daughter, Victoria if she surrenders.'' 

Peter cocked his head at her. ''What do you mean? What about them?'' 

She looked round at him, and Peter hadn't seen that grim expression in a  _long_ time. He knew what she was going to say before she said it.

''They're the only ones of that damn family allowed to live.'' 

 

\----

 

Stiles could actually _see_ Peter now. Before when he'd sat with his packmates at their table near the Lacrosse field, he'd known that Peter or Derek or someone, was nearby, but they hadn't been in his eyeline before. 

Peter, who must have noticed him looking, raised a hand in greeting and then melted away into the trees, although Stiles didn't doubt that Peter still had eyes on him. Apparently, Talia's orders had been to keep him in sight at all times, which could get rather uncomfotable for all parties if taken literally. 

Having Peter nearby didn't stop the feeling in Stiles' stomach, and he was  _praying_ that he was just worried, rather than having some prophetic feeling. He felt like he was being descended upon.

''Are you okay, Stiles?'' Scott asked him across the table, face turned down in his signiture frown. He looked at the trees where Stiles had been looking, but didn't see anything.

''Yeah Scotty, I'm fine.''

 

\----

 

It was Scott's second Lacrosse game that night, and he, Isaac and Boyd were in the locker rooms getting ready, while most of the pack were crowded together on the stands. Erica pressed her side against Stiles', saying something about how she was proud of Boyd and Isaac, but Stiles was eerily disconnected. He responded with an ambiguous nod, and scanned the treeline.

The match went without a hitch, neither Isaac, Scott or Boyd lost control and they won the game for the Beacon Hills High School team. 

As the people in the stands jumped and shouted, with either victory or dissapointement, Stiles felt himself come back into focus. Where his senses had been fuzzy, they were sharp and clear again. Stiles could see what was coming.

Argents.

Argents were coming.

Kate, Chris, others. 

Allison was sat in the stands nearby, and Stiles wondered if she'd be called to war. Currently she was cheering to Scott, so she couldn't  _know_ yet.

Stiles didn't know who the Argent was who led the hunting party, but his face was grim and his intention were deadly.

They stepped out onto the Lacrosse feild, and the floodlights turned off, plunging them into darkness and chaos. Stiles was consumed with the need to get to Scott, to help Scott. He vaulted the chairs in front of him to get to the stairs and bolted down them, vaulted another barrier and spilled onto the pitch.

His eyes began focusing in the darkness, and he knew the werewolves would be able to see better still, but he was sure the Argents would have come prepared. 

''SCOTT!'' He shouted, being pushed from side to side by people, screaming and running, scared by  _something._

''SCOTT!'' He screamed again, feeling his throat protest. 

Then Scott was there, gripping his arms and vibrating with panic. ''Stiles! Stiles, we have to go. We have to run! They're coming. They're-''

''Already here.'' They both looked up at the startlingly loud voice. Kate Argent was barely recognisable through the darkness, but the poison in her voice was distinct. 

They tore apart, sprinting in opposite directions. Stiles' cry of pain was lost in the chaos as the bolt of a crossbow periced his left shoulder, just above his heart. As he fell to his knees, howling in pain, a poisonous voice found his mind.

''Find the Witch, find the wolves. Grab him, and the betas.''

 

\----

 

Stiles woke with a scraping gasp, oxygen clawing into his throat. He sat up quickly, and pain flared through his chest, so strongly that he was forced back onto his back, screaming against his teeth and clenching his eyes against the hot, stinging tears.

The point of the arrow was lodged between his shoulder and the ground, so he would have to relieve the pressure before the pain could ease. He slowly sat upright, gripping the front of the bolt with his right hand. With the loudest cry of his life he snapped the front of the bolt free. He knew not to remove it. 

''Stiles?''

He went silent and completely still. He looked around for the first time. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realised he was in some kind of basement. Strung fron the ceiling from their wrists, Erica and Boyd were hooked up to what looked like a generator.

''Erica?''

''-t's me. Argents bagged us on the Lacrosse feild. I can't believe they got us away from Talia.''

Stiles' stomach dropped. Erica was right, if the Argents had been able to abduct them right under Talia's nose, what else were they capable of?

''Are you okay?'' He asked.

Erica made a horrible noise that Stiles flinched away from. ''No, not really. Boyd hasn't even come around yet.''

As she finished speaking, light filled part of the room. Stiles noticed the stairs in the corner of the room for the first time, and while pressing fingers to his chest to try and stop the bleeding, he shuffled away from the now open door.

Someone desceneded the steps and entered the room. 

Stiles recognised the grim-faced hunter from the Lacrosse feild. The man found Stiles and pinned him with a heavy gaze.

''Witch. If you want your friends to remain alive, you'll come with me.''

It took Stiles at least a minute to properly get to his feet and find his balance. His blood had pooled on the stone floor and his head was spinning. Stumbling as he struggled to put one foot in front of the other as if he were drunk, he eventually found the stairs with his feet. Gripping the wall, he slowly ascended into the light.

He blinked through the bright light. He didn't recognise the building, the rooms. He  _did_ recognise the people. The grim-faced hunter from the Lacrosse feild was standing near him, his hand very obviously resting on the gun at his waist. Allison's father stood behind the sturdy table that sat deeper in the long room and a cold-looking woman stood next to him. Kate Argent sat in a chair at the table, resting heavy boots on it and twirling a metal-tipped arrow in her hand. Two grunts stood at the two doors.

There was another chair in the middle of the room, and the grim-faced hunter gestured to it. Stiles stumbled down into the seat and brought his hands up to the arrow in his chest.

''Father, you can't leave him like that. He's just a  _kid.''_

Stiles was frankly a little shocked that he was being defended right now. The grim-faced hunter, Gerard apparently, looked him over assessingly. 

''If he answers my questions Christopher, I will allow you to patch him up. But remember, he'd not a child. Not with that  _evil_ in his blood.'' _  
_

Had Stiles been more lucid, he would have spat in Gerard Argent's face. Instead he croaked out, ''How dramatic.'' His self-preservation instincts were poor at the best of times, but apparently when he was half-unconcious from blood-loss, they were all but nonexistant. 

Gerard's hand striking him across the cheek didn't come as a surprise. He groaned, but managed to bite back whatever remark his brain wanted to spew.

''Now,  _witch,_ where can we find the wolves? We've never managed to find their den, but we know that you spend plenty of time there.''

Stiles managed to roll his eyes up to Gerard's face.

''I can't really remember. I'm a bit woozy right now, blood loss y'know. Not great for orienteering.''

He closed his eyes as Gerard lifted his hand again. When the strike didn't come, he opened one eye tentatively. Kate had blocked Gerard's blow and was grinning down at Stiles. 

''Hang on father.''

Gerard looked at her for a few seconds and then stepped away, leaving Stiles at her mercy. Stiles stared up at Kate, expecting the worst.

''So, little witch. I've met your kind before, you know? If there's one thing I've learned from spilling magical blood, it's that you have this  _annoying_ habit of binding yourselves to other Supernaturals which always ends up in a messy clean up. I rememeber the first time I killed a Witch, her little Werewolf boyfriend managed to track her and I almost lost an eye to the mutt before I put him down. So tell me, which of the  _pack_ have you tied yourself to?''

Stiles stared up at, feeling waves of horror and nausea through the thick fog in his head. 

''Is it one of the new betas? Erica? Or how about one of the Hale daughters, Cora or Laura?''

Then she gasped delightedly. ''Is it  _Derek?_ The tasty peice of mutt? I didn't have you pinned as a  _fag_ , Witch, but you are, aren't you?''

Stiles stared up at her. 

''I'll tell you Stilinski, I'm impressed. You're in a wolf pack, which is strike one. You're a Witch, which is strike two, and you like  _cock?_ That's strike three! You're like a whole host of evil rolled into one!''

She threw her head back and laughed, and Stiles thought he might honestly throw up into his own lap. The pain his chest had sunk to the back of his mind. He tipped his head and saw Chris and the other Hunter Woman standing shoulder to shoulder. The woman was stony-faced but Chris was barely hiding what looking like vauge horror at what Kate was doing.

''Kate-'' Chris tried to cut in, but she'd clearly just started and wasn't going to stop.

''Tell me Stilinski, what's it like, being the slave of a werewolf? How does it work? Does he have his way with you, in exchange for power? Do you do it _so_ he'll drag you into the forest everytime you so much as cause a  _spark?''_

''Fuck off. It's not  _like_  that.''

His protesting just seemed to fuel her delight.

''Do you  _love_ him? Tell me Stilinski, is it  _true love?_ Is he your  _soulmate?_ Oh wait, it's  _mates_ to werewolves, isn't it? Or does he just tell you he loves you so he can get high on your magic? Does he promise you the future? I bet he calls you his  _Mate_ so that you'll obey him. Tell me, how does it feel to love a creature that is incapable of loving you back? Don't worry Stiles, I'm sure as soon as you're no longer useful you'll be discarded. If he can't breed you, why would he want you? He'll drink your magic dry, and then let you go. Those wolves don't care for you, they just want your magic.''

Stiles looked at her for exactly four more seconds before leaving forward to shrow up. He felt feintly pleased when the vomit spilled over his knees to splatter up Kate's legs. She moved away, spitting with disgust.

''You see Stiles, that's just what werewolves do. They drink you dry and then either kill you, or tell you to fuck off.''

She stepped around him and tore the arrow out of his chest. He screamed with pain as more blood poured from the gaping wound in his chest. He saw Kate Argent's grin one more time before he passed out. 

 

\----

 

''Derek, will you just  _calm down!''_

Talia shouted, but when her son started snarling, she was forced to pin him against the side of her car until he stopped thrashing.

The whole pack, excluding Stiles, Erica and Boyd, were stood together in the parking lot of the high school, regrouping. 

Eventually the floodlights on the pitch had come back on, and the humans had calmed down and gone home. The werewolves remained. Stiles, Erica and Boyd's scents had abruptely ended at the parking lot, where they had been no doubt shoved into cars. Scott and Derek were taking it the hardest. Scott, because he'd had his hands on Stiles just moments before the Argent's had grabbed him. Derek, because he was connected to Stiles and he could feel the pain radiating from Stiles, twisting in his chest in a broken magical cry for help from Stiles.

Derek finally stopped snarling and went limp against the side of the car. Talia let him go and he remained there, breath heavy.

''What do we do?'' Isaac asked, panicking at the loss of his friends and pack. 

''Why did they take them?'' Scott asked after, huge eyes turned to his alpha, desperate for any kind of reassurance. 

''Hunters have a  _thing_ for Witches. They're human, technically, but they're more tied to pack than usual humans, because of their magic. I've met many Hunters who take a... Sick pleasure in twisting Witches beyond recognition and then using them to hunt their own packs.''

''Peter, that's not helping!'' Talia admonished, although she mentally noted that Peter looked as torn up about the teenager's disappearance as everyone else.

''Derek, love.'' She turned to her desperate son. ''Try to find Stiles. you're linked to him, you can find him.''

Derek looked at her, eyes slightly wet and glowing bright. He shook his head. ''I can't! His magic, I- I can feel him calling for help but that's all I'm getting. It's an SOS but I can only get his pain!''

He rubbed his clawed hands over his face. 

''No sweetheart.'' She told him, pulling his hands away from his face like she had often when he was a child. ''That'd not what I meant. You can find him. You  _know_ what I mean, Derek. It's time to stop denying it.''

Derek looked up into her eyes, long and hard. He started shaking his head slightly again, and she could tell he was slipping away slightly, as he had done as a child. She hadn't had to coax him out from inside his own head for years, but his mate had just been taken, and she understood completely.

''Derek, honey, come on. Your pack needs you now. I need you now. Stiles needs you now. You  _know_ what he is to you Derek, you just have to admit it to yourself. Stiles needs you to do this.''

When it was clear that Derek wasn't responding, she resorted to calling on his wolf. Derek would be angry at her later, but Stiles was in  _danger._ Her eyes lit up red and she spoke to him with a low growl. An alpha calling to her beta.

'' _Derek, I need you to listen to me now. Your mate is in danger. Stiles is in danger. It's your job to protect him, to keep him safe. You are the only one that can find him. He is yours. He needs you.''_

When Derek turned his eyes to her, his wolf was in control.

'' _Mate?_ ''

She nodded, smiling at her son.

'' _Yes.''_

 

_\----_

 

Stiles opened his eyes, expecting to be assaulted with more filthy accusations. Instead his eyes found Chris Argent, who stood over him. He flinched away slightly. Chris didn't react to him, and it was then that Stiles realised he had been patched up. He didn't have a shirt on and there was a large gauze square taped over his heart. His jeans had been replaced with some other, slightly baggy ones, and there was a distinct lack of puke-smell.

He stared up at Chris. Chris stared back and then sighed.

''I'm sorry for my sister. She gets... Carried away.''

Stiles thought he saw actual regret in Chris' eyes.  ''Yeah, that's one way of putting it.'' He ground out. He closed his eyes again, trying to ignore where he was and what was happening. Then something dawned on him, and he opened his eyes again.

If what Kate had said was true, then Derek would follow him here. The rest of the pack would come for Erica and Boyd, and the Argents would be waiting. This was a trap.

''Is it true?'' He asked Chris. ''Will he follow me here?''

Chris' expression darkened. ''Yes. Hale should be able to follow you here. I didn't want to have to put down your pack, Stiles. Unfortunately, my sister and father seem to have... Other ideas. I wanted us to work together to put down the rogue, but it seems that that plan had gotten away from us.''

Stiles dropped his head back down and prayed that the pack would have a plan for when they arrived here. 

 

\----

 

''He's going to hate you for that.'' Peter told Talia as they ran through darkened streets after Derek. 

''I know.'' She replied. 

 

\----

 

''No!'' Stiles shouted and Kate slapped him again. Five minutes after he'd come around she'd come back to torture him. 

''Tell me! Where is the den!''

Kate had figured that the whole pack wouldn't risk crashing in here and revealing themselves, and so wouldn't stop asking him questions about his pack. 

''This is your last chance. Tell me where the den is, and tell me how many wolves there are, or I will  _kill_ one of your little friends downstairs.'' 

Stiles watched her. He didn't doubt that she would kill Erica or Boyd, but he needed to buy himself some time. He spat blood at her. Her eyes darkened and she span on the spot and stalked towards the door to the basement. 

Stiles' head rolled back. His nose was broken and his lip was split. His magic was eluding him. His chest hurt. 

It was Erica that Kate dragged up the stairs by her hair. Stiles went to lunge out of his chair, but one of the Hunters standing watch pulled a crossbow in his direction and he sank back into the wood. Erica stared at him in horror, more because of his condition that the threat on her life. Stiles had no doubt that she would've heard Kate's screaming match earlier, and he wanted to crawl into a hole. 

''C'mon blondie, beg for mercy.'' Kate cried, shaking Erica by her head. Kate pulled a gun from her hip and pressed it againsErica's's temple. Erica looked up at Stiles from where she rested on her knees. Tears slowly dripped from her eyes but she remained steady, eyes locked with Stiles'. 

''Stop.'' Stiles whispered through a mouth full of blood and a fat lip. Kate looked over at him.

''What was that, Witch?''

''Stop!'' Stiles said louder, spitting blood onto the floor and glaring at Kate. 

''Give me what I want, Witch, and the blonde will die quickly.'' Stiles felt like he was burning from the inside. One of the Hunters near him let out a loud expulsion of breath and he realised what was happening. He was pulling from them. He latched on, and started taking more. When the hunters realised what he was doing, they descended on him, weapons pointing at him from several angles. But his magic was stirring. His pack was in danger, Erica and Boyd were in danger,  _Derek was in danger._

''I told you to stop.'' Stiles said matter-of-factly. Kate watched curiously as Stiles' usually hazel eyes lit up like a wolf's, but an unsettling green instead of yellow or blue.

''Congractulations Stilinski, I've only met a few Witches who could pull off that trick.'' She watched as the three other hunters slumped to the ground. 

Stiles cocked his head at her, his magic having given him an unnatural uninterested air. ''In Protection. In loving and being loved. I am loved.''

Stiles barely knew what he was doing as he raised his hand threw it out, and watched Kate Argent crumple to the ground. Her body slumped away from Erica and the gun clattered to the ground. Erica bolted away from the hunter, to Stiles' side. She surveyed the other hunters around his feet. 

''Are they dead?'' She asked him, shaking slightly. He patted her shoulder, and then gestured to the nearest door.

''They will be. I suggest you grab Boyd and make a quick exit. I'll be just a moment.'' She looked at him, seeing how he wasn't himself. She was smart enough to not try and stop him. She bolted to the basement.

Stiles walked to the cooker on the other side of the room is the small kicthen in the corner. He twisted the dials until he could smell acrid gas flooding into the room. Erica pulled Boyd from the basement and dissapeared through and out of the room, shooting a worried look at him as she passed. Stiles waited a moment until he thought there was enough gas fillng the room. He was the spark that lit the flame that lit the house on fire. 

Stiles came back to himself, and he was fire. There was nothing but crackling heat around him, it licked and kissed his skin but didn't bite, like an obedient animal. He walked through the flames to the door, and stepped through, out into the air, flaming. _The pack was calling._

 

\----

 

Derek, Talia, Peter and Scott burst onto the main street from an alleyway, and spotted Erica standing on the street, holding up Boyd and staring up at a burning house. Just as they reached the Betas, hunters burst out of the house, including Gerard, Chris, and Chris' wife, Victoria. The hunters barely registered the wolves, just ran to inconspicous black cars and sped away.

The pack moved to enveloped the betas into their midst. Derek moved towards to house.

''Where's Stiles?'' Talia asked Erica and Boyd. Boyd wasn't lucid enough to reply, but Erica looked at her with fear in her eyes.

''I don't-'' She didn't get to finish. Derek made a strangled sound and they all looked up. 

Flames had completely taken the house now, and through the open front door, stepped Stiles. Stiles didn't look like  _Stiles_  though. The fire consumed him, but he did not smell of burning flesh. He kept walking until he stood several feet clear of the house. Derek was clearly confused and distressed, unsure of what was happening.  _  
_

Stiles stood for several seconds, still burning. Then, the flames that danced around him started to go out, until only smoke was left. Stiles stood, completely unharmed. The same couldn't be said for his clothes, which weren't as fire resistant as he apparently was. As Derek was too out of it to care, Peter shrugged out of his jacket and moved forward to give it to Stiles. Derek growled, and wouldn't let Peter near Stiles, so Peter offered his jacket as a peace offering.

Stiles stepped past Derek, grabbed the jacket and pulled it around himself. Peter shuddered as Stiles fixed him with a stare, with glowing green eyes. Whatever had happened in that house, it had triggered Stiles' magic in a huge way. 

The way Stiles moved and stared, Peter could tell he was lost to his own magic, spiralling without an anchor. 

''Derek.'' Peter whispered. ''Derek, he needs you.'' Derek however, was also lost, his wolf not understanding what was happening, and the human too buried to intervene. 

''Stiles!'' Talia snarled, using her alpha influence to address the more rational of the two lost boys. ''Go to him! You should touch him, let him feel that you're okay.'' 

Stiles fixed Talia will his eerie gaze, but some part of him must have understood her, or at least understood his own instinct to go to Derek. He stepped forward. Stiles wrapped himself around Derek like an octopus, and the two of them sunk to the ground, pulling eachother back together. 

Talia pulled Erica and the half-unconcious Boyd into a bone-creaking hug. 

''Are you two okay? Did they hurt you?''

Erica smiled grimly at her. ''They drugged us, threatened us, but we're okay.'' Her gaze turned to the pile of  _StilesandDerek._ ''I'm worried about Stiles. You didn't- You should have heard the things they said to him. I know he's strong, but...'' She shuddered at the memory. ''I'll tell you about it later. Stiles... Kate... Some of those other hunters... He started the fire.''

She looked up at the burning house. They all flinched at the sound of sirens in the distance. 

''We need to go!'' Talia told them all. 

Stiles, who was currently the most functioning out of himself and Derek, pulled Derek to his feet. ''Come on Sourwolf. Now we  _run.''_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, comments and feedback are greatly appretiated :)


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack deals with the aftermath of the previous night.

Stiles woke slowly, as though he had to crawl back to consciousness. He opened his eyes. 

The ceiling that greeted him was not his own. It was white and notably missing the pink stain from the Cranberry Juice incident of 2011. He looked around the room and confirmed that it wasn't his. Stiles could tell it was one of the bedrooms in the Hale house, and the lack of personal objects around the room made it apparent that this was a spare room.

He sat up slowly, gripping his head that felt like it had been bashed in. The blankets of the bed were heavy across his lap, but on the right side of the bed, they had been pulled back like someone had been sleeping there. He flung out his hand and the warmth still lingering in the mattress told him that someone  _had_ been sleeping there, _recently_. If his swimming memories of the previous night could be relied on, he would guess that it had been Derek sleeping next to him.

He surveyed himself. He wasn't wearing a shirt, probably because of the thick gauze across his heart. Clearly whatever shitsplosion of magic had ripped out of him the previous night hadn't bothered to clear  _that_ up. The only clothes on his person were a pair of basketball shorts that he guessed were Derek's. He distinctly remembered being naked the night before and tried not to think about that too much.

It wasn't until then that he realised his eyes were wet. Once he'd noticed, he started full-on crying and couldn't stop for a long time. Eventually, his sobbing reduced to occasional hiccups. He wiped his face and dropped his head to his knees.

''Batman! You're awake!''

Stiles clutched his pounding head as Erica burst through the door and launched herself across the bed. ''Please, shh.'' He moaned, rubbing his temples. She looked him over.

''Sorry. Magical hangover? Deaton said as much.'' Stiles shook his head at her. He pushed the blankets off of his lap, feeling abnormally warm, but was reminded of his lack of clothes. Erica smirked at him and then handed over the cardigan she was clutching.

''I'm under strict orders from Isaac to give this to you.'' 

Stiles' nose was no more than human, but he could still pick up Isaac's scent from the cardigan. He wrapped it around himself, grateful for Isaac's height and broad shoulders that meant his clothes were baggy on Stiles.

''Do you want to talk about it?'' Erica asked, suddenly serious. Stiles avoided looking at her, instead of twisting his hands in his lap.

''No.'' He told her honestly. ''But I think I should.'' She nodded. If there was anyone he felt comfortable talking to about the previous night, it was her. She'd been there, she'd gone through it too, to an extent. 

''Are you  _okay?_ '' She asked him, and he looked up at her. Her gaze was heavy on him. 

He carefully considered what he was going to say next, because he didn't doubt that every werewolf in the house was listening, intentionally or not.

''I- No. Not really. Erica, I  _killed_ those people.'' 

Her eyes flashed darkly and Stiles was reminded of Kate. But Erica was  _not_ Kate, and Kate was dead. 

''Stiles. Stiles, I know you're going to carry this around with you for the rest of your life. But the thing is, if there anything I've learned in my time in the supernatural world, is that good and bad aren't as distinct as they used to be. You do what you have to to protect your family, above all. And those Hunters, they weren't  _people._ They were murderers and sadists and they would have happily killed us all. You burned that house to the ground because they would have done so to us, without reason or cause.'' 

He watched her as she spoke, feeling his eyes grow wet again, and wondered if she'd rehearsed that speech. ''I know. I do, I do know. I just didn't think I was capable of those kinds of things. When I latched onto those hunters, without even noticing? I don't  _want_ that kind of power. And then it all just took over, like I had taken a back seat to my magic. It was like I was barely even there when I snapped _h_ _er_ neck. She was perfectly ready to trap and kill our pack when they came for us. I just feel so much  _guilt_.''

She reached out and grabbed one of his hands, gripping it tightly. ''That's what separates us from them, Stiles. They don't feel guilt for what they do. You  _do_. You did what you did because you  _had_ to. Last night couldn't have ended other way. You wouldn't have allowed it, and that's  _okay._ Talia told us, she told us 'it lies in protection, in loving and being loved'. You don't have the capacity for cruelty, you couldn't have done it, if it wasn't to save us'' _  
_

He dropped his head again. After a moment, ''I just- The things she  _said_ to me.'' 

Erica set her jaw, remembering perfectly and wishing she'd had a chance to rip Kate Argent's head off. 

''I know none of it was true, I just.. It made me feel all- Unclean? Just,  _wrong_. The things she called me, it just- It got to me more than it should have.'' 

Erica moved up towards him and knelt next to him and wrapped him in her arms. Stiles was distracted by shuffling at the door. He peered over Erica's shoulder. Isaac stood half in the doorway, scuffing his feet, clearly conflicted, wanting to be in the room but feeling unwelcome. Stiles caught his eye and gestured for him to come into the room.

A moment later Isaac was there with them, his arms joining the protective, comforting circle around Stiles. Stiles let himself lean into his pack, into his  _family._

''So Stiles,'' Erica said a little while later, when she lay next to him, shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip, while Isaac had set his head in Stiles' lap and looked up at him and he carded his fingers through his hair. ''I happened to notice last night, while you were, ya know, ass naked, that you have a smoking hot body, no pun intended, and I'm a little offended that you hide it under all those clothes.''

Stiles snorted and then looked down at where Isaac's cardigan had slipped open to show his chest, wound included. He pulled the material a little tighter across himself. Isaac looked up at him amusedly and he felt his ears tinting red.

''Um... Well, thanks, I guess?''

The three of them dissolved into laughter until they were all aching. 

It wasn't until Stiles' stomach started rumbling that they considered getting out of the bed. Erica grabbed his hands and helped him to stand. His head spun a little, but he was able to walk straight. 

''Um, could I get some pants?'' He asked, looking down at his oversized cardigan and basketball shorts ensemble. 

''I'll get you some.'' Isaac volunteered quickly and disappeared from the room. 

''Be warned,'' Erica whispered when Isaac had gone. ''Everyone agreed not to disturb you until you left the room, so prepared to be monopolised by worried werewolves. When you want to start throwing wolfsbane, just remember, it's because they love you.''

Stiles grinned at her. Isaac returned, laden with clothes. He shrugged at Stiles apologetically. 'Sorry. Everyone wanted to contribute.'' Stiles was sure it was some wolfish scent, sick-pack mate thing, but he was still touched. 

He sifted through the pile. There was a black shirt that he was pretty sure was Laura's on the top of the pile. He shrugged and put it on under Isaac's cardigan. There were some grey jeans that looked around the right size, that he was pretty sure Peter had contributed, and he tried not to think about the designer label and his own track record of destroying clothes. His socks were from Cora, black with tiny dogs on them.

When he was dressed in his mismatched outfit, Isaac led him, and Erica followed him out of the room. The first werewolf he had to face was Talia. She wrapped him in a hug and she reminded him so much of his own mother that it brought tears to his eyes. She pulled away and looked at him. ''I'm proud of you kid. I know this is hard, but I'm so proud.'' She hugged him again. 

Then he spotted his dad over her shoulder. His eyes were red and he looked much older with worry. ''I'm so sorry,'' Stiles whispered as he collapsed against his dad. They clung onto each other for a long few minutes.

''It's okay kiddo. I mean, I'm furious, but it's okay. Your mom, she told me about the dangers of this world, and I've accepted that you're part of it and that I can't change that. But  _please_ try to be more careful in the future?''

Stiles nodded. ''Yeah, dad. Of course.''

''Good. Melissa asked me to tell you that she loves you and she hopes you feel better. She gave you some meds last night, but you'll need more. She was the one who patched you up properly.'' 

Stiles raised his hand to his chest and smiled. Stiles had loved his mom, and he still did, but Melissa was family too and both he and his dad needed a woman like her in their lives. He had suspicions about his dad's feelings for Melissa, and he hoped his dad knew that he was okay with it. 

''Okay, kid. I have to get to work, be safe.'' Then he leant in close. ''And don't think we won't be having a discussion about Mr Derek Hale.' 

Stiles gulped but his dad's eyes were glinting amusedly. His dad bid Talia farewell and headed out.

It was smooth sailing from there until he entered the dining room. Every single pack member was sat around the long table. The atmosphere reminded him of what it had been like when his Mom died, when his dad and a few estranged cousins had been sitting, nursing coffees and alcohol and looking sombre. This time was different though because when he entered the room, everyone lit up. He was surrounded by pack in a second.

They all touched him in some way, Boyd wrapping him in an unexpected hug, Peter rubbing his hands across his shoulders, Laura pressing their cheeks together. Scott almost tackled him in his haste to hug him, and Stiles was laughing as he gripped Scott for dear life. Rowan, who had returned from one of his mysterious business trips, shook Stiles' hand and then slung an arm around his shoulder as Talia pressed a kiss onto the top of his head. 

Eventually he was pushed into a seat, and the biggest plate of food he'd ever seen was put in front of him. He didn't have much of an appetite, despite his stomach's rumbling, but he picked through the bacon and toast. For a while the room buzzed happily, everyone safe and warm and content. 

When Stiles pushed his plate away from himself however, the room became sombre instantly. They must have all been waiting for him unspokenly. Eyes turned to Talia, who watched Stiles carefully. 

''Last night- Well I'm sure we all know what happened by now. While  _some_ of the hunters are no longer going to be an issue, I have no doubts that the remaining Argents will be after us like never before. We need a plan of action. First though, Stiles, I'm sure you have no desire to relive last night's events, however I need you to try to remember if any of the hunters told you anything about their plans.''

Stiles thought long and hard as the room watched. Eventually he shook his head. ''Nothing- Nothing comes to mind, but so much of it is fuzzy and unclear. There are parts I don't remember.''

They sat for a moment, then Stiles' eyes shifted over to Erica, who nodded to him. ''But, Erica heard the whole thing. I'm sure she wouldn't mind recounting all of it. You can tell them all of it.'' He told her. She nodded, but watched him sadly.

Stiles sat and twisted his hands on the table as Erica recounted everything that had happened the previous night. There were parts that Stiles was surprised to hear himself, and he hadn't known how out of it he'd truly been. More and more eyes flicked between him and Erica in horror as she recounted everything.

He didn't meet any of the sympathetic gazes as Erica spoke. When Erica got to the part about Kate's particularly unpleasant means of trying to get information out of Stiles, noises of disgust and outrage broke out around the table, and both Derek and Talia pushed away from their seats. Talia took up pacing the long room, looking slightly terrifying in her anger, and Derek took to the kitchen, leaning against the side and resting his head on his arms. Stiles bit his lip and pulled at the threads in Isaac's clothes. 

Eventually when Erica had finished, Talia made a sound and it must have been a signal that Stiles wasn't aware of, because everyone fled the room without another word. Except Derek that was. Stiles' mate was still at the other end of the room, caught up in his own thoughts.

Stiles pulled his knees up to his chest in his seat and stared at Derek's back down the room. After what felt like  _hours_ , Derek faced him.

The werewolf stalked down the room towards him, and then stopped short, staring down at him. Stiles picked himself up out of the chair and stood to face Derek, unable to hold back a yawn.

Derek muttered something that sounded like '' _I'm so sorry.'',_ and then Stiles wrapped his arms around his torso. Derek stood rigid for a second before relaxing against Stiles and enveloping him into his chest.

They stood like that for a while, and Stiles soaked up Derek's presence like he was starving for it. Derek dropped his head to Stiles' shoulder and breathed heavily, taking in Stiles' scent as much as he could. They could both feel their bond sparking as they touched, a light shiver going through them both.

''I'm sorry.'' Derek said, clearly this time. They both pulled back but kept holding each other's hands between them without noticing. 

''Don't be. It's not your fault.'' Stiles told him, but he could tell by Derek's eyes that the older boy didn't believe him.

''It _is_  my fault. The hunters caught you to draw us,  _me_ , in, and-''

Stiles cut him off, half angrily. '' _Derek!_ It's not your fault! It's the hunters, and their fucked up ways. It's  _them_ who kill kids. It's  _them_ who happily kill innocent people. We fell into their trap, that's all.''

Stiles was left slightly breathless by his tiny rant, but all the air was expelled from his lungs after that because Derek was  _kissing_ him. Stiles' hands found their way to Derek's shoulders and Derek's fisted loosely in his hair, which was getting long and scruffy.

''Shit.'' Stiles mumbled, and Derek snorted. Stiles broke out into a grin.

 

\----

 

'It's about time.'' 

The wolves had filtered through the rest of the house, leaving Derek and Stiles alone and pretending not to listen to what was going on in the dining room. 

''Shut up Peter.'' Laura shot at Peter from the opposite couch, where she was on her back with her legs over the arm, pretending to do something on her phone. Peter placed the book he was blankly looking at down on the coffee table. 

''Well, it's true.'' 

'' _She's right, Peter, shut up.''_ They could hear Cora speaking from her room upstairs. 

Honestly, Peter was happy for Stiles and his nephew, it was about time Derek's attention was taken up by something other than his own angsting. This didn't negate Peter's concern however. He'd only met a Witch once, not for long and not intimately, but he'd read and researched and heard the stories.

He knew how it was. He knew about the utterly unconditional love that Witches were prone to. Humans often developed very muted symptoms of Pack instincts, but Witches felt those instincts even more intensely than werewolves did. He knew how it could be, when a pack mate of a witch was injured or killed, how witches could tear down cities to get revenge.

 _That_ was why hunters chased witches so vehemently, because many a witch had levelled a village, or exterminated entire clans of hunters to avenge dead pack mates. 

Even before Stiles had presented, Peter had seen a dangerous potential in him. Maybe that was why he had connected with the younger boy, who'd become like a nephew or younger brother to Peter, even before his bond with Derek came about. Peter had seen so  _much_ of himself in Stiles, including the potential to go off the rails, to be consumed by unending rage. 

That was why Peter was worried. He believed eventually Stiles would be pushed off of his path, whether it was because of the Argents or the Alpha, or maybe in the future when his father died, or during some other trauma. They'd all gotten a taste of Stiles' power last night, and Peter feared should harm come to Derek or anyone else in the pack, Stiles would not be stopped until Beacon Hills and the Argents were eradicated.

 

\----

 

Talia and John had tried to convince Stiles to stay out of school the next day, but Stiles had insisted on the grounds that he'd missed too much already. So Wednesday found Stiles walking the halls of Beacon Hills High, flanked by his pack more closely than ever. 

As they walked, Stiles caught the eye of Jackson Whittemore. Jackson was still a low-lying threat in that he was suspicious of Scott's new-found athleticism, and Stiles would bet that their new 'we're-secretly-in-a-wolf-pack-clique' probably wasn't the most inconspicuous thing.

Later, Stiles was cornered in the boy's bathroom by Lydia Martin. He was washing his hands, well aware that Isaac was lingering outside, when the redhead burst through the door and made him jump. She fixed him with an icy stare.

''What?'' He asked her, unsure of himself. He was well aware that Lydia Martin was far smarter than her reputation led everyone to believe, but this was the first time he was worried about just _how much_ she knew.

''Stilinski, you and I both know what I want.''

''We do?'' Three weeks ago Stiles would've been unendingly thrilled that Lydia was talking to him, but now it seemed trivial. He hadn't thought about her in _weeks_ , and now he realised everything he thought he'd felt for her, was gone.

''Stiles Stilinski, don't treat me like an idiot. You and I _both know_ that there's something unnatural going on in this town and in this school. If I had to guess, I'd say you were in the middle of it all. And if I  _had_ to guess, from the sentries that follow you everywhere, I'd say something  _dangerous_ is happening. But I don't have to guess. Jackson was bitten by something on the night before last. He refused to go to the hospital, but apparently he didn't  _have_ to, because yesterday morning it was gone.  _So_ , if you would, _tell me what is happening.''_

Stiles could see why Jackson did everything Lydia told him to, because she could be fucking _scary_. Stiles was a little bit more concerned that Jackson had been bitten and they hadn't known.

''Jackson? No, Scott would've-''

He realised his mistake when she raised an eyebrow at him. ''McCall's a werewolf isn't he? Jackson's been obsessing for two weeks about how McCall manged to one-up him out of nowhere, and you and I both know McCall's always been a pathetic nobody, no offence. Then Jackson was bitten, and you've somehow ascended to the throne in your little band of hotties, and it all makes sense. Werewolves.''

Stiles just stared at her, open-mouthed, which pretty much confirmed everything she'd just said. Stiles was slightly very terrified, but also he wanted the pack to adopt Lydia _right now_ , because she was clearly incredible, in a whole different way to what Stiles had believed before.

''Uh. Well, yeah.'' He said, and she nodded triumphantly.

''McCall, Lahey, Reyes, Boyd and the Hales. They're all werewolves, aren't they?''  

''Yes.'' 

They both heard Isaac groan outside of the door. Stiles was possibly going to get murdered for revealing the secret, but in his defence it was kind of necessary. From the sounds of it, Isaac was now speaking to someone on the phone.

''Then what, Stilinski, are you?'' 

''How do you know I'm not a werewolf too.'' He crossed his arms defensively. She pinned him with a look that told him she was  _not_ falling for his bullshit.

''Lahey, McCall and Boyd have all suddenly excelled at Lacrosse, Reyes is hot all of a sudden and not having seizures. You, are exactly the same, except now you have friends. You're not a werewolf, so what are you?''

Stiles was honestly astonished by how good Lydia was at reading people. 

''Um, let's discuss that later. Right now, we're about to get swamped by werewolves.''

Her mouth twisted down unhappily, and then, sure enough, werewolves flooded into the tiny bathroom.

 

\----

 

The school day ended, much more quickly than it usually did. Lydia Martin and a manhandled Jackson Whittemore were wrangled into the Hale house so that things could be explained to them before they could go blabbing and ruining everything.

In the fuss, the previous nights had fallen to the back of the betas minds, and it wasn't until Stiles stood alone by his car looking up at the house that was full of werewolves and otherwise, that the dam really broke. Stiles had been coasting the whole day, unwilling to think about the previous night beyond his own trauma, and making his inevitable meltdown that much worse as he ignored it, letting it build and build inside him. 

His chest tightened as the panic attack hit him, worse than it had been in years. He stumbled away from his cars into the woods. He couldn't think straight, and couldn't reason how it was unendingly stupid to wander off alone in the woods. All he could think was that the pack had more important things to deal with than him. 

He couldn't tell how far he was getting, because his attention was wrapped in his inability to breathe. His legs kept working mindlessly underneath him as he stumbled along. He went for longer than he thought he would before he finally tripped over something and ended up on his knees. He tried to regulate his breathing as tears streamed down his face, slipping the taste of salt into his mouth. He was shouting, throat raw, unable to make a sound as he fought for breath. Then, in one long gulp he managed a lungful of air, and he shredded his vocal chords, releasing a tortured scream into the air. The sound echoed across the preserve, raw with pain and sadness. Stiles gulped at air as much as he could, his memories tearing him apart. All he could think was ' _I am a monster'._ over and over until he thought his head would explode. He passed out there on the forest floor, surrounded by dirt and grass and the low buzzing of the wildlife. For once, he didn't dream.

 

 


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles realises something.

When Stiles woke, he spotted a large wolf sitting just within his peripheral vision. He found himself slightly disappointed that it wasn't a black one. Instead, the wolf was a dark caramel colour, and it took Stiles a second to realise who it was.  
  
''Scotty!'' He sat up quickly, ignoring how his head spun. ''You managed the full shift, that's so cool dude!''  
  
Scott padded forward quietly and sat back down a few inches from Stiles. A low whine came from Scott's chest, and Stiles pushed his hands into the thick fur there. ''What's wrong buddy?'' As he spoke, Scott started shuddering. After a moment Stiles realised Scott was shifting and turned his gaze away as Scott turned back into a human. A very _naked_ human. Stiles pulled his hoodie off and threw it at Scott. Scott strategically positioned the hoodie over his junk and Stiles tried to ignore Scott's nakedness.  
  
''Dude, that was _so not cool._ '' Scott scolded him, and he knew that Scott was referring to his disappearing act the previous night. He dropped his head in shame and twisted his hands together. ''I know. I'm sorry. I don't- I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't have a handle on myself.''  
  
Scott softened with pity. ''Dude, you're allowed to not be okay, the other night was way too freaking crazy, but you can't pull stuff like this. Everyone freaked out, we couldn't find your trail, it was like you vanished into thin air. I was so freaked I fully shifted and couldn't turn back. It wasn't until Peter literally stumbled across you that everyone stopped tearing their hair out. Talia decided it was best to leave you here, we didn't know how you would be when you woke up.''  
  
Stiles knew if he dwelled on his own issues for too long he'd get lost in them, so he changed the subject. ''How're Lydia and Jackson?''  
  
Scott sighed, knowing exactly what Stiles was doing but indulging him anyway. ''Lydia's fine. Better than fine. She freaking scary, you know?''  
  
Stiles nodded, agreeing.  
  
''Jackson on the other hand, is not taking it well. He started shouting when they wouldn't let him leave and threatening to call his dad and the whole lot, and then he manages to get out of the front door, and he and Peter are wrestling because he wants to leave but Talia told Peter not to let him. Then Jackson wolfs out and he keeps shouting 'what the _fuck'._ ''  
  
Stiles couldn't help but snicker. Jackson was an asshole and he was so _predictable_.  
  
''Then Derek realised your Jeep was there but you weren't, and everyone started panicking and looking for you. I don't know what happened after that, but I saw Lydia talking to Jackson outside and I _think_ they went back inside.''  
  
Stiles hummed in agreement. If anyone could wrangle Jackson and his bullshit, it was Lydia. He looked up when Scott made an uncomfortable sound.  
  
''Dude, I don't enjoy being naked. Can we move this party elsewhere?''  
  
Stiles grinned at Scott. ''Sure buddy. Want me to go and hunt down some pants?''  
  
''Yes, please. Scream if something bad happens.''  
  
Stiles headed towards the house, not noticing his own unnatural sense of direction. Ten steps in he tripped and fell over something. Squirming around on the ground, he realised he'd been thwarted by a black duffel bag. When he dragged the bag back to Scott and unzipped it, he found clothes that looked like they were Scott's size. Scott returned Stiles' hoodie as he dressed, and Stiles held the hoodie at arm's length, bitching about how he was going to have to wash the dog smell out of it.  
  
When Scott was about eighty percent less naked, the two of them headed to the house together. Stiles was unusually quiet, but inside his head, it was loud and all over the place.  
  
When the two of them stepped through the door, Derek was on Stiles immediately. Stiles pressed himself as much as he could against Derek until he thought he might fall right through his chest. Derek vibrated with a low growl under Stiles' cheek.  
  
'' _Please_ don't do that to me,'' Derek growled quietly, and Stiles was washed with guilt all over again. He looked up at Derek.  
  
''I'm sorry, Der. I should have tried harder. I can't control my magic and I can't get my head straight. I can't- I can't.'' He stared at Derek's shoulder, not wanting to look up, knowing he would lose his composure.  
  
''It's okay Stiles. We'll make it better, I promise. You're so strong. We'll be okay, but you have to remember, we're your pack. It's our job to be there for you to depend on, and you _have_ to be able to rely on us. If you can't depend on us to keep you safe and take care of you, then there's no point to any of it.''  
  
Stiles stared up at him, lip wobbling. He was so sick of crying. He knew Derek was right. Last night had been caused by his inability to trust his pack because ultimately he struggled to believe he was worth the love and protection of such a force and so many incredible people. But he would try, for Derek. He nodded and hugged his mate again, hoping it would convey all the things he couldn't say.  
  
When they pulled apart, Laura was there to squeeze his shoulder. ''Mom's called a pack meeting.''  
  
Every other pack member, including the Sheriff and Melissa, and Lydia and Jackson, were in the dining room, some sat and some stood. All eyes turned as Stiles entered the room, flanked by the remaining Hales. Stiles' eyes were for his alpha, however. She watched him with such a tender gaze. There was slight anger and disappointment there too, but ultimately she was his alpha and a mother. She knew about guiding teenagers through supernatural hardships, god knows she'd raised three teenage werewolves while managing a bustling pack.  
  
''Stiles- Dammit Stiles. Stiles, we love you as our blood and without you, our newest pack mates would not be able to hold together. It is of the utmost importance that you learn to let us help you or this pack, and you yourself, will never survive.''  
  
Stiles could see so much of Talia in Derek, could see where his compassion came from, even if it was buried like treasure.  
  
He nodded once, hoping his alpha would understand that he understood. Talia looked at him for a moment longer.  
  
''Right. It's true that the threat of the Argents has been lessened after the... Incident, however Gerard, the crazy bastard, is still kicking. It's my belief that Chris and his daughter are redeemable, but if they pose any kind of threat to the pack, there will be no hesitation in taking them out. As for Chris' wife... I will be handling that _personally,_ one way or another. As for the alpha-''  
  
Her gaze drifted and she spoke directly the pack's newest Betas, Lydia, and Stiles. ''It's my duty as the alpha of this territory to remove threats such as this, and I'm more sorry than you could ever know that I have failed you in this way. I will not allow my failures to put any of you in danger any longer. I'm sure some of you won't like this, but from now on, until both threats have been neutralised, you will not be involved in any activities that could put you in any danger. You will not aid the pack in removing these threats in any way, for your own safety.''  
  
There was an instant outpour of shouting. Erica and Cora were the loudest, spewing anger and discontent at the idea of the new pack members being grounded. Laura and Scott looked incredibly unhappy and Derek looked slightly smug which brewed unspeakable fury in Stiles, because dammit it was _his_ pack, and if he was able to do something, he  _would_. He kept his mouth shut, however, allowing himself to stew and battling with the magic that rose up, begging to burst from his skin. The wolves could all smell the metallic magic rolling from Stiles and saw his eyes flash green. Boyd had a hand on Erica's shoulder, keeping her from doing something she would regret. Isaac stood at Stiles' shoulder, looking unhappy and rubbing his nose against the tickling scent of magic that his untamed senses couldn't yet identify. Jackson looked nonplussed and Lydia carefree, examining her nails but less unaffected than her composure would suggest.  
  
The room went silent when Stiles began crackling like static. All eyes turned on him, wary but not fearful. Stiles' expression twisted in fear as his magic slammed against his skin trying to force its way out. He tried to keep hold of it, but it was like trying to grip water and a thick stream of blood started from his nose at the exertion. Magic was meant to be used up, not kept away like this and his body was tearing itself apart trying to hold on. They couldn't  _keep_ him here, not when there was danger out there. Not when the pack needed protecting.   
  
Then Derek was there, gripping his arms and bearing his weight as he fought to keep the magic inside of himself, where it could hurt only him.  
  
''Stiles!'' Stiles tried to look at Derek but his eyes wouldn't focus and his head wasn't staying up on his neck. Derek held the back of his head, forcing him to look into his eyes.  
  
''D'rek.'' Stiles slurred, bringing in as much breath as he could because he needed it, despite how much it hurt.  
  
''Give it to me.'' Derek said into his ear, making sure he could hear him. Stiles tried to shake his head, but Derek's grip prevented it.  
  
''No.'' His tongue tumbled around in his mouth, but his tone made his meaning clear.  
  
''Stiles!''  
  
''T'll rip you 'part.'' He managed to focus on Derek but his head was swimming.  
  
''Your magic would never hurt me, but keeping inside is hurting _you_.''  
  
Stiles couldn't think straight, but Derek's words sunk right through him. Derek was a werewolf. Derek was his mate, he must know what's right. Stiles' magic _liked_ Derek, some of it tasted like the forest because it was inexplicable linked to him.  
  
Stiles let the magic pass through his skin. It exploded in every direction, but Derek was wrapped around him, not letting a single speck reach anyone else.  
  
Derek gritted his teeth. Stiles' magic didn't hurt, if anything it caressed his skin with a whisper as it sunk through him, but there was so much. Derek's wolf snorted, uncomfortable, surrounded by a haze of magic that danced across his fur, tickled his nose.  
  
The magic eventually settled, flowing just like blood through them both, humming with the same rhythm as their combined steady heartbeat, jumping from one of them to the other through their contact as if they were one system. Derek's wolf settled down, satisfied and content, as Stiles' head cleared, his breathing returned to normal, and the blood from his nose stopped running and crusted over his lips and chin.  
  
Derek reached up to wipe the blood from Stiles' lower face and when Stiles opened his eyes Derek stared into Stiles' intense, glowing green gaze.  
  
''You took it.'' Stiles' speech was clear now, and he was in awe of Derek. Derek had never been the subject of awe before, and he shifted uncomfortably.  
  
''Your eyes, they're glowing green.'' Derek told Stiles, still looking into the glittering green. Stiles cocked his head as he looked at Derek.  
  
''So are yours, sourwolf.''  
  
Derek whined, confused, but Stiles gripped his shoulder. As Stiles' green eyes faded back to their whisky daydream, Derek's faded through to their usual blue and then back to their natural green.  
  
''They've stopped.'' Stiles told him, and his worry was instantly gone.  
  
Not until someone cleared their throat, did they remember the rest of the world. Talia stood in the doorway, unafraid but wary, her arms braced on the door frame, the only thing keeping the rest of the pack back in the living room behind her. ''Everything okay?'' She asked, her eyes on Stiles rather than her son.  
  
''Yeah, Mom.'' Derek answered when Stiles' couldn't find his words.  
  
''Stiles?'' She asked, apparently wanted confirmation from him himself.  
  
Stiles stared at Derek's chest, where he could feel his magic thrumming, content to live in Derek but ready to be pulled from him at any second. ''Yes, I'm okay. I'm sorry.''  
  
Talia's expression softened considerably, but Stiles wasn't looking at her. ''I know, kid. I wish your Mom was still here.''  
  
Stiles sighed and leant forward to press his cheek against Derek's chest. Derek's arms came up instinctively so that he was wrapped around Stiles where he was slumped on his knees between Derek's legs. Derek looked over at him Mom again. Talia sighed and brought one hand down from the door frame so that Isaac could push past, Scott and Cora hot on his heels.  
  
Derek begrudgingly let Stiles go so that he could be comforted by his pack mates, but even when Stiles' view was completely obscured, Stiles' magic sung to him from where it resided in Derek, relaying the werewolf's heartbeat. From Scott's grip, Stiles tugged on the magic in Derek, just enough that it would snap like an elastic band against his shoulder. Stiles felt the jump in Derek's heartbeat and hid a grin in Scott's shoulder.  
  
''We need to get Deaton to help him, don't we?'' Derek asked Talia. She nodded, mouth downturned.  
  
''Yes. I'm concerned there may be only so much Deaton can do for him. But I'll see what he can do. He _need_ control before he gets himself hurt.''  
  
  
\----  
  
  
Stiles watched curiously as Deaton fastened the braided material around his wrist.  
  
''There.'' Deaton released his hand. ''That should, hopefully, aid you in controlling your magic. It doesn't reduce your magic, it's instead more of a... Conduit. It will help you to focus your power and strength. Think of it as lighting a match as opposed to starting a forest fire.''  
  
''So It's like when Havok gets his suit!''  
  
Deaton stared at him blankly, but Stiles saw the tiny up-tick in his lips as he looked away. Deaton totally was a secret nerd.  
  
''Doc, why is this shit happening? You said before that my magic was all about protection, but that didn't feel so safe before. It felt like I might hurt someone.'' He stared at the band as he twisted it around his wrist.   
  
''I'm aware. I was concerned this would happen. It's true that your magic is strongest when the need for protection is strong, however, it seems that you generate an incredible amount of magical energy yourself. It's rare, but your mother was able to do a similar thing on a much smaller scale. With training, I would imagine you would be able to generate enough magical energy for any spell or task without exertion. Much of your ability to handle this much power, however, comes from training and constant practise. It's not something that happens overnight, I'm afraid. it's different for everyone.''  
  
Stiles nodded and sat quietly for a minute.  
  
''So this band should definitely mean I won't have to magically unload onto Derek next time, right? I mean, I know he's a werewolf but there's only so much anyone can take of being a magical dump, right?''  
  
Deaton nodded as he moved around. ''Yes. There should no longer be any need for what happened today. However, even at your most emotional, you couldn't ever release enough that could injure Mr Hale. Not unless he was seriously threatening your packmates.''   
  
They were both silent for a long moment, in which Stiles stared down at the band on his wrist, turning it round and round and fiddling with the clasp.  
  
''Stiles, I believe it would be prudent for me to make a personal comment.''  
  
Stiles waved his hands around. ''Say what you gotta say, Doc.''  
  
Deaton sighed. ''The thing is, with witches and especially those with a much ability as yours, relationships with magical bond-mates are particularly... Intense.'' He hummed. ''Yes. Witches are prone to an unconditional loyalty and love. You should be careful who it is that you forge that for, as it's impossible to get rid of and you may find yourself acting... _Instincivly_. On top of that, it's incredibly rare for werewolves to mate with witches, and especially ones with as much power as you. To share both a magical and mate bond with a werewolf... It is incredibly important to keep things out in the open in such a relationship, to keep constant communication. Alongside that, I believe it would be appropriate to place boundaries with Mr Hale and with your pack. I also think it is important for you to find small ways to burn off excess magic throughout your day. Small things, things that'll go unnoticed in public situations.''

Stiles gathered up and gripped the loose fabric of his sleeves into his fists. He nodded. ''Right, okay.''  
  
Neither of them spoke again until Stiles' had his jacket back on and had texted Derek to come and pick him up. Then, Deaton piped up.  
  
''If you find success with this particular type of magic to bind and structure your own, then perhaps it would be prudent to consider a more permanent solution. One that can't be ripped away in a struggle.''  
  
''What kind of solution?''  
  
Deaton rubbed his hands together as he moved things around on the counter top. ''A tattoo would be the most painless means. It wouldn't be the most discrete tattoo however, it would be quite large and comprised of runes and such. It would have magic woven through it, so I would have to do it, and you would have to be lucid and contributing.''  
  
Stiles nodded, thinking. ''Right. I don't know how my dad would feel about that, but I like the idea. I... Yeah, no, yeah I want that, if this,'' He held up the wrist with the bracelet on it, ''Works out.'  
  
Deaton agreed with a nod.  
  
  
\----  
  
  
Stiles slept at the Hale house again that night. His dad was working late shifts, even though he knew who, or rather _what_ , his killer was. Stiles had a sneaking suspicion that his Dad was relaying information to Talia about the ongoing case. Stiles drifted off to sleep pretty easily, but when he woke at three the next morning, sweating from forgotten nightmares, he was unable to get back.  
  
He padded across the ground floor, hoping not to wake any of the werewolves. He rummaged around in the kitchen with the light off, the room dimly lit by the moonlight through the window, which Stiles may or may not have sneered at. It took him a while to find decaf coffee in the ofck on the cupboard, and he'd had to climb on the counter top to find it, as well as dig behind Lydia's bizarre English tea bags that Stiles didn't understand how to make, that had somehow already integrated into the Hales' kitchen.  
  
As he made his drink, he thought about werewolves drinking coffee. Obviously they didn't need coffee to function, and their bodies would just burn off the caffeine straight away anyway, but they must like the taste. He guessed the decaf was for the humans in the pack.  
  
While he was pondering the science of werewolves drinking coffee, and stirring his own instant because the machine made too much noise, someone snuck up behind him and tapped him on his left shoulder. The cup that he'd been stirring exploded across the counter top as he whirled around, a cry on his lips to alert the werewolves in the house.  
  
He fell silent and still when he came face to face with a sleepy-looking Lydia Martin who was still managing to pull off a rather disparaging raised eyebrow.  
  
''Jeez, Lydia, you scared the shit out of me. I thought you and Jackson went home?!'' He hissed at her, while she continued to look unimpressed.  
  
''Stilinski, you half-live in a house full of werewolves, didn't it occur to you to pay attention? Jax wanted to stay here. He won't admit it, but I think the idea of having a pack sits well with him, no matter how much he likes to act like an ass.''  
  
Stiles just stared at her until she sighed and reached around him to pull two unbroken cups out of the cupboard behind his head. Stiles, moving without really thinking, reached up to pull down her weird teabags and set them next to her on the side, and used a flick of magic to collect up the spilt coffee and shards of ceramic and sweep them into the sink, splattering coffee across the counter as he did. Someone else could deal with that later. He wobbled a little and Lydia kade him sit down.  
  
They stood in silence as they made their drinks and then warmed them, Stiles finding himself impressed that Lydia managed to stop the microwave on zero seconds, without it making any sound. As Stiles took the first sip of his drink, warming his throat, Lydia spoke, quietly. ''So, Stiles, Derek Hale? I'm impressed.''  
  
Stiles almost choked on his drink, covering his mouth as he tried not to inhale or spit it out. When he'd managed to recover, he looked at her completely innocent expression and scowled. Then he sighed, relenting. ''Yeah. Who would've thought?''

Her expression broke and she smiled at him, real and warm. Stiles couldn't help but think he was lucky to be allowed to see this side of Lydia, sleepy and mussed and kind, and not hiding herself behind her social pretences. 

''I don't know about that. I've always thought there was more to you that meets the eye. I still believe that, even though I know so much more about you.''

It was Stiles' turn to raise an eyebrow. ''Really? See here I was thinking you'd never so much as cast eyes on me.''

She smiled again. ''Please, you and I both know I was simply refusing to indulge your obsession. Which, don't think I haven't noticed, has vanished. If I had to guess, I'd say that was due to a certain black haired Hale? Honestly, I always thought you were straight as a doornail, but I'm happy for you. He's good for you, I can see it.'' 

Stiles couldn't help but turn his head away, hoping she wouldn't see his red face in the dark room. She took another long sip of her drink, watching him over the brim. She pulled herself up onto the counter, and then said, ''So, have you told Derek how you feel about him yet?''

Stiles clung onto his drink for dear life and wanted to bury his face in his hands. He  _never, ever_ , pictured himself here, discussing his gayness with Lydia Martin over hot drinks at four in the morning, but here he was. If this had happened two months ago Stiles would have been thrilled at his chance to get on Lydia's good side. But Stiles' infatuation with Lydia had faded to a warm fondness, and he could tell, give it a year, and she would be his best friend (alongside Scott, of course. Scott was his brother.)

''How- How did you...?'' His hands started to shake. 

''Please, you're so utterly  _obvious_. The way you look at him, the way you talk to him,  _about_  him. Don't think I didn't see what happened yesterday. It may well be that you two have some magical bond, but even so, there's no way you would've trusted him like that if you didn't love him.'' 

He was grateful that she'd whispered that part, but he was still reeling. She was clearing away the bullshit and denial in his head away faster than a pack of werewolves cleared away the food on the table. 

''I'd trust Scott to help me with my magic too.'' He pouted, wishing his drink had been larger so he'd have something to do other than stare at the dregs. 

She shook her head. ''No you wouldn't. Scott is your best friend, but it isn't the same as it is with Derek. I don't think it's  _just_ you, though. He looks at you too. It's different, the way he looks at you, but I think it's also the same.''

''Shit. I don't _love_ him... Do I?'' 

''Stiles, tell me about him.''

He looked at her for a moment, and then said, ''He's... His smile is the best thing I've ever seen, and when I saw him the other day, when I thought he was hurt, I felt like my heart had been ripped out through my throat. Everytime he walks in the room it's like I stand to attention, like i'm, uh, hyperaware of him.''

''Yes, Stiles. You're in love with him.''

Stiles looked up at her from under his eyelashes. Then he said, quietly and tentatively, ''Have you heard about the whole mates thing yet?'' 

She nodded, watching him curiously. ''Of course. I refused to leave that room until they'd told me  _everything_ about werewolves. I mean, I'm sure it wasn't  _everything_ , but the mates thing was included, yes.'' Then she seemed to realise what he'd said. ''Derek's your mate, isn't he?'' 

Stiles nodded, putting his empty cup down on the counter and crossing his arms across his chest. ''I'm just... Worried. I'm worried that maybe we can't have anything real, because the bond is forcing it. I mean, he's older, er and _way_ out of my league, and...'' He sighed

She looked at him for a long minute. ''Don't be an idiot. Stiles, you know what I'm going to tell you, don't you?''

He nodded. He did know. She seemed to know he needed to hear it anyway.

''Talk to him, Stiles.  _Talk_ to him.''

  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback and comments are massively appreciated, and thank you so much for reading!


	10. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack is scattered.

Stiles was dreaming of fire. He was surrounded by it, stumbling through a burning house, unable to find a way out as the fire consumed everything around him. Before he could escape, he was found. Kate's hands were around his neck, choking his breath away as she burned, her hair flaming around her and her skin burning, his own fire leaping from her skin to his own, turning on him, burning him. Punishing him.  
  
Stiles woke. Kate was gone, but the fire wasn't.  
  
''Fuck!''  
  
He ran for the bathroom, pulling the water on and throwing himself under the shower head to extinguish the flames, utterly grateful he'd elected to sleep at home that night. He knew that his own flames wouldn't burn him, but the same couldn't be said for his dad or his house. He sat under the flow, a charred hole in the chest of his Captain America t-shirt, and wrapped his arms around his knees as the water soaked to his skin.  
  
When he finally came back to himself he scooped himself out from under the water and wrapped himself in a towel, dripping water all over the floor. He moved around automatically, mechanically. He headed downstairs, still dripping and his clothes burned, keys tucked in his pocket.  
  
He walked into the forest. As soon as the sounds of civilisation died out behind him, his head began to clear. He didn't even really notice the bottle of whisky clutched in his hand until he was uncapping it and taking a swig. It burned his throat, but he didn't care.  
  
  
  
\----  
  
  
  
Derek smelled the alcohol on Stiles before he saw him. When Scott had gotten a text from the Sheriff asking about Stiles' whereabouts, and relayed the question to Derek, Derek found himself knowing already. He sighed disappointedly and ignored the curious looks he got as he slunk out of the house to find his idiot mate deep in the preserve.  
  
He was pretty sure it was a miracle that Stiles was even still conscious from the amount he must've drunk. Stiles was in a complete state. Derek only wondered why he was soaked for a moment before he smelled the faint scent of smoke and saw the burned hole in Stiles' clothes. Stiles didn't even notice him as he walked up to him, holding his arms out in case Stiles fell. Sure enough, Stiles started to topple and Derek scooped him up into his arms with another sigh.  
  
''Come on Little Red, let's get you home.''  
  
Stiles blinked up at him, and then mumbled, almost incoherent. ''Sourwolf, s'that you?''  
  
He hummed in conformation and took a right, returning Stiles to his house. He had to awkwardly manoeuvre Stiles' door keys out of his pocket while ignoring the slurred lewd comments his mate was making. He managed to get the door open and then took him upstairs to his bed. He set him down carefully on the bed but when he tried to take a step back a surprisingly strong grip fastened around his wrist. Stiles couldn't really focus, but he was looking up in Derek's general direction.  
  
''Stay.''  
  
Derek didn't need to be told twice. He pulled the sheets out from underneath Stiles, settled them over him, and then climbed on the bed to lie next to him. Stiles tipped his head to look at him. ''Why'd'you keep putt'n up with my bullshit, Sourwolf?''  
  
Derek huffed a laugh out and moved a little closer to Stiles, not moving away when his mate curled into his chest. Derek kept telling himself that Stiles was drunk, and that this didn't mean anything. But if his heart sped up a little, well there weren't any werewolves to call him out on it.  
  
''Because I love you, little red.'' The words just sort of slipped out and his breath caught, not having meant to say them. He knew it was true though.

Stiles blinked blearily at him, and his mouth pulled into a sloppy smile. ''Good thing wolfie, cause' I love ya as- as well!'' His heart remained steady. From the way Stiles slurred and closed his eyes, Derek guessed he wouldn't remember this tomorrow. Stiles fisted one of his hands in Derek's shirt and hid his face against his chest, and started gently snoring.  
  
  
  
\----  
  
  
  
Derek woke slowly, much unlike his usual mornings being hassled by werewolves or a shrill alarm. He tightened his grip around the warmth against his torso. When he opened his eyes a few minutes later, he realised the lump was in fact a person, and that person was Stiles. He wanted to jump away, but Stiles was restful and breathing heavily, and Derek's instincts told him that his mate needed to sleep. He's intended to leave after Stiles was asleep, but clearly that hadn't happened. Derek didn't remember sleeping so easily and heavily in a long time. He felt rested, and that was new.  
  
Stiles murmured something from next to him and Derek ghosted his fingers along Stiles' upper arm which seemed to settle whatever was going on in Stiles' head. Derek had never had a hangover, had never been drunk because his family had never let him try wolfsbane-laced alcohol, so he didn't know what exactly it was going to feel like when Stiles' woke up but he knew it was going to suck.  
  
Just as he had that thought, Stiles' heart rate changed and he opened his eyes, blinking sleep away. He looked up at Derek happily for only a second before he tucked his head back, screwing his eyes up against the light falling through the window. He didn't need to ask for Derek to start sapping his pain from where they were pressed together, lying flush. When Stiles' head hurt less, he peered up at Derek.  
  
''Hello.''  
  
He mumbled, half of his face concealed in Derek's shirt. Derek smiled at him, unable to help himself. Stiles' hair was sticking up all over the place and he was blinking sleepily and he looked adorable.  
  
''Hello.'' Derek replied.  
  
''I got drunk?''  
  
Derek stared. ''Yeah. You were stumbling all over the place, mumbling all sorts of nonsense. Stiles, you could have gotten hurt, gotten  _killed._ The argents are after you, you _knew_ that, and you still went out there!''  
  
Stiles' cheeks, neck and ears warmed to pink and he looked away. Derek's anger was disarmed almost immediately, and he desperately wanted to ask if he remembered the night before, but didn't want to trigger any memories. God knows he didn't want Stiles to remember his confessions of love happening when Stiles was drunk. How romantic.

After a minute Stiles mumbled something that Derek didn't quite catch. 

''What?'' 

''I said, I need food.'' Stiles uncovered his head to reveal him down turned mouth.  

Derek rolled his eyes, but had already caved. ''Get dressed, I'm not cooking for your lazy ass.''

Stiles mumbled something else that sounded appreciative and then rolled towards the edge of the bed as Derek climbed off of it.

It took Stiles nearly five minutes to get dressed, his body not really responding to what his brain wanted. He stumbled downstairs with his shirt inside out and back to front as Derek came out of the bathroom towelling his hair off. Derek followed him into the kitchen and shook his head as he surveyed his dishevelled state. 

''C'mon you big baby.'' He told Stiles, and then pulled his shirt over his head when he came close enough. It took Stiles a minute to register what had happened as Derek pulled his shirt inside out and pretended not to look at his shirtless state. Stiles had worked hard for his abs and Derek should have been  _appreciating_  them. 

''Arms up.'' Derek commanded, and Stiles complied, forcing Derek to make eye contact with him. Derek pulled his shirt down over his torso but ended up with his hands at Stiles' waist and his lips only a few inches from Stiles'. For several long, agonising seconds they both began to lean forward, eyes flicking down to each other's mouths, but then something clicked and they both looked away, pretending the moment hadn't happened.

Stiles' scent soured slightly. He though maybe Derek had regretted their first kiss, and his heart hurt.

 

  
\----  
  
  
  
Stiles was vibrating with the effort of maintaining control over his magic. It wasn't like before, didn't tear at his skin, but it was still getting closer and closer to bursting free. When Isaac had noticed his clenched fists, Stiles had barely managed to stop him from calling Derek. Derek was out adventuring with Laura doing god knows what, and Stiles refused to ruin it. So he sat, teeth clenched so hard that pain was radiating through his skull, listening to Isaac's nonsense ramblings as he tried to sooth him while also panicking.  
  
''What can I do? Tell me what to do, Stiles!''  
  
After Stiles had bitten his lip bloody, Isaac had started freaking out. He was vibrating almost as much as Stiles was, his hands flitting all over the place and his eyes flashing yellow sporadically. Stiles could barely spare the concentration to address Isaac and his groaned as his muscles ached.  
  
'''I, uh- I don't...'' He trailed off, a shudder racking him. He stood up slowly, maintaining his control but barely. He stood shaking for a few seconds before Isaac wrapped him in a hug, distressed that he couldn't do anything to help Stiles. After a moment the ache started to ebb away from Stiles' muscles.  
  
''I'm not meaning to do that.'' Isaac muttered as they both looked down at where black lines spread up Isaac's hand from where it was braced on Stiles' shoulder.  
  
The pain was gone, which relieved Stiles, but when a burst of magic broke through from his hands and scorched Isaac's forearm, it became apparent that the pain was the only thing anchoring him.  
  
''Shit, shit, shit, I'm so sorry!'' He spat, eyes screwed up as he tried to keep it back. Isaac's skin had already healed and he didn't move back, though he'd flinched, just watched Stiles worriedly.  
  
Peter came crashing into the room, Cora hot on his heels. Both of their eyes were lit as they followed their noses to where they had smelled magic and scorched flesh. Peter took one look at Stiles before marching over and scooping him up, heading for the door as Cora went to Isaac's side.  
  
Peter deposited Stiles a couple of hundred feet into the woods as quickly as he could run. Stiles' eyes were glowing green now and the smell of magic was growing stronger.  
  
''You need to let it go, Stiles.'' He said loudly, taking a step back from Stiles who looked as if he were ready to explode at any second.  
  
''No!'' Stiles growled through his clenched teeth. ''I don't want to hurt anyone!''  
  
Peter considered him. ''You need to. We've been trying to tell you, you won't hurt us.''  
  
But Stiles had hurt the hunters, he'd _murdered_ Kate Argent, and he was going to do it again if he couldn't control himself. 

It was a testament to Stiles' trust, that he took one look at Peter to be sure he meant it, and then let go.  
  
Fire burst from Stiles' skin like a phoenix, and Peter moved back, but the heat washed over him like a warm breeze, the terrible flames caressing his skin before sailing past him.Watching Stiles was like watching a Supernova. He was nothing but raw energy, and his clothes burnt but his skin didn't.  
  
Peter had been exploring lore about Sparks and Witches and how they were separate in history but often the same. He knew how rare this kind of power was. He also knew that Stiles had presented at least ten years after the age that most spark's magic presented. It was a miracle he hadn't cratered the entire town.  
  
  
  
\----  
  
  
  
Scott woke up with a start, not recognising where he was or who the person standing over him was. It wasn't until he sat up that he recognised Allison's mother. Who looked very pissed off, and very fucking scary thank you very much.  
  
''Scott McCall. You're the mutt who's been sniffing around my daughter.''  
  
Scott stared up at her, mouth slightly open. He hadn't listened when he'd been told that Allison's parents were, to put it simply, bat shit insane, and it had come back to bite him in his furry ass.  
  
Scott breathed a sigh of relief when he sensed alpha nearby. It wasn't until a grotesque form came crashing through the door that he realised it wasn't _his_ alpha. The alpha that had bitten him had come to claim back its beta. Luckily for Scott, Victoria Argent was more concerned about an alpha than a beta, so she turned her back to Scott who was shuddering into his full shift as she squared up to the alpha.  
  
Scott coughed and hacked against the wolfsbane as he turned into a wolf, and while it burned his eyes and throat more in this form, his instincts were telling him he'd have a better chance of surviving in this form.  
  
With a roar, the alpha descended on the hunter. Victoria emptied an entire clip of bullets into the monster, but it was fast and the bullets weren't wolfsbane, so it kept on coming. It closed its jaws around her shoulder before she could get the knife all the way out of her belt.  
  
As the alpha claimed another beta, Scott let up a howl. Whether it was for the alpha that had turned him or the alpha he had turned to, he didn't know.  
  
He pushed through the doorway on four legs while the alpha was distracted, into clear air.  
  
  
  
\----  
  
  
  
Stiles heard the call. He'd woken up on the Hale porch, and covered with a thick blanket, but otherwise naked. His head was in Isaac's lap, and something urgent had woken him, his heart was pounding in his chest as he scanned the tree line, searching for the source. But no, it was the pack bonds that cried out to him now. Isaac was the only other person in the house, and he told Stiles how Peter had been called to search for Derek and Laura, who weren't answering their phones or responding to the pack call. His magic told him that Derek was safe, for now.

He didn't know what was happening, but he knew that the calling in his chest felt like Scott, _Scott,_ Scott was crying out for his pack because he needed them. Stiles' mind went to all kinds of dark, _ohgodifScottdiesIdon'tknowwhatI'lldo_ places as he ran, but he refused to believe that Scott wouldn't be okay. It was Scott, he _had_ to be okay.

Isaac felt the panic before he smelled it, and he helped pull Stiles to his feet, hustling him inside to get dressed before they piled into the Jeep, Isaac refusing to let Stiles drive and proceeding to break just about every traffic law on the way to the school, which was where the thrumming pack bonds were drawing them.

He and Isaac reluctantly split up at the school. Stiles looped the campus while Isaac followed a scent trail inside, looking for Scott.  
  
When Stiles saw the brown wolf sprinting towards him across the lacrosse field, he braced himself for a fight and called to Isaac across the pack bonds. It was then that it hit him, a phantom pain in his side that almost brought him to his knees.  _You better fucking be okay, Derek._ He thought as he gritted his teeth and Scott increased his pace towards him.  
  
Scott padded around him and came to a stop next to his legs, briefly leaning against his calf to tell him that he was okay and asking if _he_ was okay. Stiles reached and scratched the top of his head in response. Scott was still weakened by the wolfsbane and Stiles was shaken by the sensation that could only mean his mat ehad taken an aroow, or a bullet, but they stood side by side, ready to fight for each other. They both knew they couldn't outrun what was coming.  
  
''It's okay.'' Stiles said, more to reassure himself that Scott. ''You called. The pack had to have heard. They'll come. They'll protect us. I just hope there's something left to defend.''  
  
Stiles reached for his bond with Derek when the alpha came into sight. ' _Derek, I don't know if you'll hear this, or if you'll feel this, but I need help. Scott called, we need help. The alpha's here. We can't fight it Derek, not alone. We're by the school. Please come.'_  
  
Stiles leaned against Scott's side to pull and push some comfort through the pack bond. He swallowed and raised his hands. He wished for fire as the alpha sped closer. The line sprung up, separating the alpha from them, and it was dark and rich and would latch and burn with ease, but it was also thin and small. Stiles didn't have to energy to pull up more, exhausted from his outburst. He couldn't feed the flames.  
  
_''You think this will stop me? Weak witchfire?_ '' The alpha growled in halting English, and Stiles was pretty sure that wasn't supposed to be possible.  
  
''Our pack is coming! It would be a mistake to harm us!'' Stiles called, the slight shake in his voice betraying his false bravado.  
  
' _You're lying, witch. There's no one coming. Even the beta you claimed away from me doesn't stand at your side. I admit, that did impress me, and yet here we are.'_ '  
  
The alpha took another step closer, paws inches from the dying flames. Scott's hackles rose and he snarled at the alpha, acting in defiance and in defence.  
  
' _Hush beta. You should show more respect for your maker.''_

A blond wolf came limping out of the tree line, whining loudly and making for Stiles and Scott. It didn't take them long to realise Isaac had managed his full shift. As Isaac came to flank Stiles, they both realised that it must have been Isaac's injury that forced the change onto him. His front left paw was stained and bloody, and didn't hang right from his leg. Stiles tried to push calm vibes through Isaac's head when he scratched him, but he wasn't sure if he succeeded. 

_''Two pups. One Injured. Some pack, witch.''_

''That's not all of us, not by a long shot, but It's all we'll need to beat you.'' His connection to Isaac giving him more strength. His blood sang for his pack as the alpha stepped closer, straight through his fire.

  
  
\----  
  
  
Derek heard Scott's cry, but the arrow in his flank kept him crippled on the ground. If he could remove it, he would heal, but he'd just snap it off if he tried with his wolf jaw. He could hear Laura nearby in the dank underbrush, but she wasn't close enough for him to get too, and by her whines he'd guess she too was too injured to get to him.   
  
He hadn't seen the hunters in a few minutes, but he had no doubt they'd be back. The arrow that'd struck him wasn't poisoned with Wolfsbane which meant they'd either be back to finish the job, or they had some horrible torture planned for them. 

He registered small waves of fear through his bond with Stiles, but he didn't become concerned until  _terror_ flushed through him from Stiles. He let out a low whine, and them  _somehow_ , heard Stiles in his head. 

' _Derek, I don't know if you'll hear this, or if you'll feel this, but I need help. Scott called, we need help. The alpha's here. We can't fight it Derek, not alone. We're by the school. Please come.'_

He snarled, his wolf rearing with anger. Their mate was in danger and they weren't doing anything to help. He reached around, his back protesting as he twisted unnaturally. He let out a few short breaths and ripped the arrow out with his teeth. Pain flared through him, spreading numbness down his leg. He shook his head and went to find Laura.

Laura was lying on the forest floor, in a much worse state than Derek. There was an arrow in her side, but that didn't compare to the  _bear trap_ that was closed around her belly. She whined and struggled, blood dripping down onto the dark metal. It didn't look like the metal teeth had a very deep grip on her, but it was still  _bad._

He approached and pressed his muzzle to her shoulder, trying to comfort her. He knew he was going to have to shift back to get her free, but his instincts were running wild, and he just hoped he had enough control.

He ended up stuck halfway, His face and lower half still mostly wolf, while his torso and hands were shifted just enough to give him opposable thumbs. He rubbed a hand across Laura's back, and then took hold of the metal, and started pulling. 

Between them, they made enough noise to alert the whole of Beacon Hills of their location. As Derek's body shifted back into a full wolf, Laura dropped onto her side, whining and looking over at him pathetically. He stood, quivering, his instincts ripping him in half as he strained desperately to help both his sister and his mate.

After a minute, Laura shifted back just enough to growl  _''Go!''_ before flopping back, panting. 

Derek knew she'd be dead if the hunters found her, but maybe he could draw the hunters after  _him_ instead. He took off in the direction he knew Stiles was, howling and calling as he ran, the sound echoing around the forest. He swore he saw a flash of black boots and glinting gunmetal, but he kept running and ignoring the searing in his flank. 

He knew he was nearing the school and looped around so as not to have to cross the grounds, without cover. 

He saw the hunters before he saw Stiles. He had no idea how they'd gotten ahead of him, but they surrounded him. The last thing he saw was his alpha bursting into the circle before he was hit over the head and consumed by darkness. 

 

\----

 

Stiles felt it when Derek slipped into unconsciousness. He tried not to lose hope that help was coming, but he felt himself waver. The alpha descended on them and Scott whined loudly. 

''I need to get a fucking sword or something.'' Stiles told the alpha casually, who cocked his head and bared his massive big-bad-wolf teeth. 

A snarl from behind them made them turn, and they could see in the distance, their alpha battling hunters, some of which had noticed them now. 

'' _Fuck.''_ Stiles hissed.

Their distraction had been an opportunity for the alpha, who took his chance and leaped forward, teeth destined for the witch who was the biggest threat of the three.

Stiles yelped when he heard the three consecutive gunshots. He immediately searched for the wounds in himself and Scott and Isaac, sure that the Hunters had gotten them first. He drew in a sharp breath when he realised the bullets had hit the torso of the massive werewolf that had been after his life. His wildly swinging gaze landed, first of Chris Argent, and then on his Dad, both of whom held up guns, aimed at the alpha. 

Stiles didn't know if the bullets were wolfsbane or not, but as they were all distracted by the hunters battling Talia, the alpha slipped away. 

Stiles collapsed in relief against Scott's side, wary eyes on the ongoing fight. There were three grounded hunters and another four locked in combat with the angry alpha. The Sheriff took a few steps forward, but fell short as Chris took aim and shot down three hunters and Talia grounded the fourth. Stiles watched on in shock. 

''Um, I don't want to be rude, but  _what the fuck?!''_

He saw his dad start to tell him to watch his language, but Chris spoke over him.

''Gather your pack Mr Stilinski, we have plenty to discuss.''

When Talia didn't come over to them, Stiles realised something was wrong. He crossed almost a third of the hundred-metre distance, before he spotted the black wolf on the ground. He started running, adrenalin keeping his exhaustion temporarily at bay. ''DEREK!'' He shouted desperately as he crossed the distance, Isaac, Chris and John in pursuit as Scott limped pathetically behind them.

''Derek!'' He skidded to his knees on the concrete, jeans tearing, but he didn't care. He was surrounded by bodies but focused on just one. He could see Derek's chest rise and fall, and he would have felt it if he'd died, but he was still worried. Talia, still in her wolf form, was fussing over Derek, trying to get him to wake up.

''C'mon Derek! Wake up!'' Stiles shook Derek's side, concious of the wound he could see. 

After a minute of this, Talia took a deep breath, and roared into Derek's face. Stiles flinched back and felt the need to wrap his body around Derek and keep him safe. This was forgotten though, when Derek's eyes blinked open. His eyes rolled up to Stiles first and his tongue flopped out of his mouth.

''You stupid sourwolf.'' Stiles said, dropping his face into Derek's shoulder. ''I was so worried. Don't do that shit to me.'' He could swear Derek was grinning. He moved back slightly when Derek started shifting back. His face pulled into a grimace as it returned to human, and Stiles' hands found his shoulders.

''Are you okay? Is it bad?'' 

Derek ended up crouched, naked, barely hidden from sight by Stiles' lanky frame. 

''I think- Ugh, I think the arrowhead's still in there.'' He looked down at the wound that, in his human body, sat where his waist met his thigh. Stiles, with great difficulty, kept his eyes averted from Derek's junk.

'' _Laura.''_ Derek suddenly remember, distraught that it hadn't been the first thing on his mind. ''She was injured. I drew the hunters away, but...'

''I'll find her.'' They all looked up at Chris, and Talia let out a low growl, her eyes flashing red. 

''I just killed my own people and saved your life alpha. I don't intend to harm your pack.'' After a long minute, Talia nodded. Her eyes flickered to Scott and Isaac who nodded solemnly and set out with Chris, flanking him on either side.

''You're going to have to dig it out.'' Derek told Stiles, gritting his teeth. ''Quick, before it heals over.''

Stiles pulled his hoodie from around his shoulders and gave it to Derek who covered his crotch with a smirk. Stiles pretended he couldn't hear his dad coughing behind him. His eyes flicked up briefly to Talia's, and she nodded to give his the go-ahead.

He pressed tentatively at the wound, and Derek's face closed off as the pain hit him. ''Just, do it.  _Quickly.''_

Stiles braced himself, took a few shallow breaths, and shoved two fingers into Derek's thigh. Derek dropped his head back with a grunt, his whole body tensing up as fresh blood escaped from the wound. A human whine came from the back of Stiles' throat as he pushed his fingers almost up to the second knuckle before he felt metal. He reached up and braced himself with his other hand on Derek's shoulder as he pushed his thumb into the wound, got a grip on the slippery metal, and tugged with a small cry. 

The arrowhead ripped free of Derek's skin, and Derek let out a small cry of relief. Stiles threw the thing over Derek's shoulder and then slumped against him, his exhaustion finally hitting him. 

The Sheriff cleared his throat purposefully behind them, and Stiles turned his head.

''As fun as that was to watch, we should get out of the open.'' 

Stiles examined Derek's face, which started to relax as his muscle started knitting itself back together. Movement behind Stiles made him turn again, and his eyes widened as he accepted his dad's police jacket to cover Derek, who was showing an incredible amount of skin, with only Stiles' hoodie strategically draped across him. 

As he helped Derek to his feet, he looked over the werewolf who looked ridiculous in the Sheriff's jacket. 

The two of them hadn't kissed again after the first time, and Stiles had worried it was a fluke, or that Derek was just trying to make him feel better. But judging by the way Derek was looking at him now, he knew that couldn't be true. 

It was just then that he realised it. It echoed across the wasteland of his exhausted brain, and etched itself across the landscape there.  _He loved Derek Hale._

 


	11. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Last Stand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second to last chapter!

Derek and Stiles were dropped gently into a bed back in the Hale house, both too exhausted for anything else. They curled into each other and fell asleep immediately.

Neither dreamt, but Stiles was restless, tossing and turning in his sleep, waking Derek periodically. Luckily, Derek was far too tired to do anything but drop straight back to sleep. Stiles eventually woke in the late morning with a worried yelp, his half-asleep brain telling him that his pack was in danger. Derek roused next to him as he dropped his head into his hands, his forehead slick with sweat that made his hair stand on end. 

''What's wrong?'' Derek mumbled sleepily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and slowly sitting up, pulling back the sheets that have gotten all twisted from Stiles' tossing. 

''I don't know,'' Stiles told him, running his hands through his messy hair. ''I just feel it. We should go and see if Laura's okay.'' 

Derek frowned but nodded in agreement. 

A look around told Stiles that this was Derek's room. Even without the leather jacket hanging on the back of the door and the books everywhere, the attractive dishevelment just screamed Derek. Stiles pushed the sticky sheets off of himself as Derek pushed himself to his feet and padded barefoot across the room to a dark cupboard that Stiles hoped contained clothes because his own were dirty from the previous day's adventure and soaked in sweat.

Just as he stood and turned on the spot, some fabric came flying across the room and into his arms. He pulled a pair of jeans from over his head and tucked the clothes under one arm. ''Thanks. I'm gonna go and take a quick shower.'' 

Derek nodded and both of them felt the need to say more, but after a second Stiles shook his head and headed for the door. 

''Wait, Stiles-'' 

Stiles stopped with his hand on the door handle and looked at Derek over his shoulder. Derek, looking determined, strode across the room and grabbed Stiles' face and kissed him. Stiles almost dropped the clothes in his surprise and his hand fell from the door and reached to grip Derek's arm. After a wild second, Derek broke away, breathless. 

''I just, I wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday. And...  _This_ ,'' He gestured between them, ''Is something I want.'' When Stiles didn't say anything his face fell, just a tiny bit. He let go of Stiles. ''I just wanted you to know that.'' When he went to take a step away, Stiles was jolted and reached out to grab his hand. ''Derek, I want that too.'' The way Derek's face relaxed and lit up made Stiles want to take a picture, but he settled for dedicating it to memory. 

They kissed again quickly before Derek scrunched his nose up and said playfully, ''You stink, by the way.'' 

''Yeah, thanks.'' Stiles hit him lightly in the arm and turned, opened the door and disappeared down the hallway, his racing heart audible to all the wolves in the house.

Stiles dropped his head against the tiled bathroom wall as hot water soaked out the grime from his skin. He'd promised to not be long, but he was so much more relaxed now that he was clean. He eventually dragged himself out and towelled himself off in the steamy bathroom. Pulling on Derek's clothes made him blush slightly, especially the underwear. The jeans were too long and there was too much space in the shoulders of the soft Henley, but Stiles made plans to steal them.

He met Derek in the dark hallway. The other boy must've washed in one of the other bathrooms because his hair was damp and his clothes were fresh.

''Much better,'' Derek said, dropping a kiss on Stiles' head that made him blush again. Stiles let his head drop back to expose his neck as Derek pressed his cheek there, spreading his scent onto Stiles' clean skin. Together they headed downstairs to the dining room and kitchen where they hoped to find their alpha. 

'For what it's worth, I'm sorry.'' Talia told someone quietly as they turned the corner into the dining room. Stiles' eyes widened in surprise when he spotted Chris and Allison Argent sat on the opposite side of the table to Talia and Rowan, who had reappeared from wherever it was he kept disappearing to.

When Stiles cleared his throat, all four of them turned their heads to look at them. Chris looked grim and Allison's eyes were red and puffy. Talia and Rowan's faces were both deliberately neutral.

''Is Laura okay?'' Derek asked, a slight nervousness in his voice. 

''Come and sit down,'' Talia told them both. Unsure of which side to choose, they ended up dithering for a moment before sitting on Talia's other side. 

''Laura's fine, thanks to Chris. She had healed well before he found her, and Isaac and Scott helped to get her back home.''

''About that,'' Stiles said, eyeing Chris. ''Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you helped us, but... _W_ _hy?''_

Chris glanced down at his hands, an odd show of nerves that set Stiles slightly on edge. ''Gerard's a monster. Kate was... Kate was terrible and she deserved what came to her,'' his words carried a weight that made Stiles' chest hurt. ''But she was never as bad as our father. As happy as she was to comply, he ordered her to get information from you,'' he looked at Stiles, ''and he's been pulling the strings behind the stage for a long time. I won't let him ruin Allison as he did Kate. On top of that... I discovered yesterday that he's working with the alpha.''

Stiles leant forward. '' _What?_ Are you serious?'' Derek tensed beside him and Talia and Rowan both looked grim. 

''I'm afraid so,'' Chris told him. ''I heard him telling his men to find the two wolves that were alone outside of the pack's protection,'' his eyes flickered to Derek, ''and then he went after the second, but not before sending two of his men to find the alpha. I managed to capture one of them, but the other got away. The one I had told me what Gerard and the alpha were doing. He told me that my wife was torturing the McCall werewolf, and-'' 

Stiles paled. Scott had been okay when Stiles had seen him, but he hadn't known  _that_ was what had happened. He'd assumed the alpha had taken him.

''The alpha was sent to turn her. I still don't know why. When I left to find Victoria and stop her, I ran into the Sheriff. I didn't have time to get away, so I told him what was happening and he insisted on following me. We were too late to find Victoria, but we arrived in time to fill the alpha with bullets. Victoria was turned, and she... She carried out the code.'' 

Stiles guessed what that meant, and from the way Allison's eyes started shining with tears, he knew. 

''This pack has never killed anyone, and I've never believed in Gerard's monster hunt. I know Allison has friends here, and if keeping her safe means giving up our hunter life, well I won't be exactly disappointed.'' 

They all sat for a moment, Stiles and Derek reeling from the bizarre and shocking story. Eventually, Stiles mind oriented back to the pack. 

''You said Gerard went after the second... That's Peter, right? Where is he?'' He turned his gaze from Chris to Talia who had gritted her teeth.

''We don't know. I went to pick up Rowan from the airport, assuming Peter would hold down the fort. From what I understand, Scott was captured on his way here, and the alpha went after him. Laura and Derek went out together to watch each other's back while they went to get food but were found by hunters. Isaac was here with Stiles and Peter until they realised Derek and Laura hadn't shown up yet, which was when Peter left. Samantha was with her parents in town, and she's still there. Erica and Boyd and Jackson heard Scott and headed here with Lydia to find out what was going on, but there wasn't anyone here because Scott had howled and Stiles and Isaac had left. I heard Scott just before we got here, so I left to find you all while Rowan stayed here to keep the Betas calm. Cora was with Grandma and she returned in the night. We don't know where Peter is, and as soon as everyone is rested, we're going to find him.''

Stiles followed what she was saying quickly, flickering from concern to understanding and back again. Eventually, he turned to Rowan. ''Sorry, but what exactly do you  _do?''_

Rowan grinned. ''That's a story for another time, but I'm sure it'll interest you.'' 

Stiles shook his head at the ambiguous statement.

Before anyone could anything else, Chris' phone buzzed from where it was face down on the table in front of him. He looked at it grimly for a second before scooping it up. ''Gerard.'' He hissed, before answering the call and putting it on speaker. The wolves would've been able to hear the call anyway, but the show of trust was noted.

_''Christopher. I've been informed of your desertion. I'm disappointed. I thought you were much better than this.''_

Chris glared at the phone as he put it back down on the table. ''You mean, you thought I was more like Kate was.'' 

Gerard hummed. '' _Kate always was much more willing to do what it took to get the job done. She was a good soldier''_

''And to happily murder innocent people.''

_''None of those monsters is innocent, nor are they people, in any sense of the word. Speaking of monsters and things that go bump in the night, I'd guess you're with the werewolves now. Truly a traitor to your blood, boy. And Allison, fooling around with the McCall boy. If only you'd told her sooner Christopher, you might've saved her from them.''_

''If I'd told her, you would've ruined her, just like Kate. These people are better than you've ever been with your false code.''

'' _Delightful. In other news, I don't doubt there are dogs listening in, so tell them to pay attention. We have the second. We know about the pup and I'm sure the_ pack  _is desperate to have him back. The Witch comes, alone, and I might let them live.''_

The call cut off and Stiles stared across the table at Chris, horrified. Chris took a long look at Allison's wet face before his gaze rolled over to Stiles. Stiles couldn't read him and his mind went instead to Peter.

''We need to find Samantha,  _now.''_ Talia smacked the table with a fist that made the wood creak, her eyes flashing red.

''I'm here.'' They all looked up to see her standing in the doorway, arms around her belly. Her tears suggested she'd been there the whole time, but she wiped her face and her expression shut down.

''You're not going alone.'' Stiles looked up to meet Derek's eyes. Derek's chest was vibrating with a long, low growl. 

''He'll be expecting that.'' Chris sighed and rubbed his hands over his face before reaching over to give Allison's hand a squeeze.

''But will he expect us to expect him to expect that? We could all go, but everyone stays hidden until necessary.''

''He's a tricky bastard. He'll expect us to expect him to expect us to expect him to expect us.''

''Shut the fuck up.'' Laura came up behind Samantha, a hand on her side, looking pale but okay. ''We have to go and get him.  _Now.''_

''I don't like the idea, but if Stiles could hold off Gerard and his men long enough to get control of the situation, we might be okay,''

Derek growled at his mother who raised an eyebrow, efficiently shutting him up. Stiles rubbed his wrist where the magic-binding bracelet had sat before he'd gotten rid of the useless thing, tossing it aside as he'd run over to Derek's bloody form. If he couldn't prevent these things from happening, why did he need it?

''Where is it?''

Stiles looked up at Derek who was watching him, his expression unreadable. 

''Gone. It didn't work.''

''Are you sure? Maybe if you kept it on-''

''Yeah, I'm sure. Piece of shit didn't do jack.'' He dropped his forehead onto the cool table with a groan. After a minute of silence, Chris spoke up.

''If I'm not overstepping my bounds, Stilinski can go in, and I'll stay close by to have his back. Not all of those hunters he's rallied would willingly turn on me. Your pack can stay just out of sight until we can be sure the second-  _Peter,_  Is safe.'' 

Talia watched him carefully, still unsure about making allies with a hunter. When her eyes fell on Allison though, she knew that as long as she was in danger, Chris would do whatever he had to, including protecting werewolves. After a long breath, she nodded.

''We don't have much choice now, we have to act quickly. Stiles, I'm wondering if you could get hold of a bullet-proof jacket from your father. I'd like to minimise gunshot wounds, if at all possible.''

Stiles lifted his head to look at her, considering it. ''My dad'll want to be involved, once I bring him up to speed. But I think I can get one, yeah.'' He looked around the room at them all. ''Just one? I'm sure we could all benefit.'' 

Talia shook her head. ''I don't want to raise suspicion at the station. Besides, we're not all going.'' 

''What?'' Laura piped up, a hand still pressed against where her wound had been. Talia frowned at her. ''You didn't think I was going to let you come, did you. Sweetheart, you need to stay and heal. We can manage this, but I don't want you getting any more hurt.'' 

Laura gritted her teeth, keeping a growl back. ''I can't believe you're benching me.'' 

''Everyone's still asleep?'' Talia asked, even though she could've checked herself.

''Yeah.  _Everyone._ Even Martin and Whittemore.'' 

Allison's eyes lit up when she heard Lydia's name. ''Lydia's here?'' Laura nodded, surprised Allison spoke directly to her.

Talia addressed Chris. ''I'm bringing Derek and Rowan, and as Stiles said, I'm sure the Sheriff will stand behind us. Allison will be perfectly safe here with all of the teenagers, Laura and Samantha, if you'd be comfortable with that.''

Chris stared hard at her for a moment, before looking at Allison who was watching him imploringly. He nodded and she hugged him hard, kissed him on the cheek and whispered, ''Be safe. I love you.'', before slipping off to find Lydia and Jackson with a whispered direction from Laura.

''We need to leave. Laura, will you explain this to everyone when they wake up?'' 

Laura, looking put out, nodded. 

''I need to say goodbye to Isaac,'' Stiles said to no one in particular and slipped out of his chair. 

As much as he tried to push it down, he couldn't help but get the sinking feeling that he wasn't coming back from this. He shook himself in the hallway outside the room Isaac had been staying in, sometimes with Scott. All that mattered was that Peter came back unharmed. 

He knocked on the door. 

''Yeah?'' Isaac's sleepy voice came from behind the door. 

Stiles pushed the door open slowly. ''Hey bro, I'm going out for a bit and I just wanted to say goodbye.''

Isaac must've read something in his face because he kicked the sheets off of himself and walked over to meet Stiles in the doorway. ''You're coming back, right?'' 

''Of course.'' He said as Isaac hugged him. He hoped that Isaac's mostly-untrained ears couldn't pick up on the tap-dance his heart had started. ''I'll see you soon.'' 

''Bye.'' 

He closed the door and walked down the table, staring at his hands and willing his magic to do what he wanted, just this once.

''You ready to go?'' Derek met him as he sat on the bottom step to pull his shoes on.

''Nope. Let's go. I'll call my dad on the way to give him the heads up.'' 

He stood, shoulder to shoulder with Derek on the porch as Talia hugged Laura and Samantha in something that felt awfully like a goodbye. 

''Derek pulled Peter's spare Camaro keys out of his pocket as they approached the sleek car that Peter had left behind. Talia and Chris walked to their own cars, having decided it was smart to have as many get away cars as possible.''

''We'll meet you at the Sheriff's,'' Derek told Talia as he climbed into the Camaro's driver's seat. 

They all pulled out of the driveway, towards uncertainty. 

 

\----

 

''Absolutely not.'' 

Stiles dropped his head into his hands. He knew his dad was going to be pissed after they explained everything to him, but he hadn't considered that he wouldn't  _let_ him go. Derek and Talia kept their mouths shut, letting Stiles handle his dad for fear of pissing the Sheriff off.

''Dad, this is was he asked for. We can't go against him, it's  _Peter._ He's  _pack._ Not to mention his wife is pregnant, did you know that? We can't leave him to these psychos.''

After a long, draining look at Stiles, the Sheriff sighed and nodded. ''I know. I knew the second you walked in here that you were going to walk into something dangerous and I couldn't stop you. You've got that look on your face like your mother always used to. I'm not sending you in there with just a vest. I'm giving you a gun as well.''

Derek and Talia both looked Dubious. 

''I don't know dad, do you really think that's a good idea?''

''Stiles, you've been able to fire a gun since you were nine years old. Just because it's different to fire at a person, doesn't mean you can't do it. I won't send you in there without a reliable way to defend yourself.'' 

Stiles' heart hurt slightly at the dig about his lack of magical control, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He had other priorities now. 

''Yeah, okay.''

''Let's go then.'' The Sheriff stood up and pulled his jacket from the back of the couch. ''We need to stop at the station first.''

 

\----

 

Stiles stared at the house through the trees. He knew they'd eventually managed to put out the fire he'd started, but he hadn't imagined the house would be so destroyed. It looked like a strong gust of wind would send it toppling. He could see someone pacing past a window, and knew that Chris had been right, that the hunters had returned to the place where Stiles had murdered some of their own. 

He took in the weight of the gun in the holster under his jacket, and with a glance back he could see Chris and his dad, guns at the ready. Somewhere behind them, Derek and Talia waited.

He looked back to the house, took a deep gulp of air, and started forward.

He was intercepted before he made the back porch. The door bounced loudly off of the exterior wall and it was lucky that all the neighbours would be at work, or they might've called the police at the echoing sound. 

The burly hunter surveyed the woods behind Stiles before grabbing his by his jacket and pulling him into the house. The force made Stiles stagger and fall to his knees, just inside the door, at Gerard's feet. He stared up at the old hunter, wishing he was brave enough to just pull his gun out. Either he gave himself away, or Gerard wasn't an idiot because he barked something to the hunter that had grabbed Stiles. The hunter ripped his Jacket off of his shoulders, revealing the gun, which Gerard ripped out of the holster and handed off to the other hunter.

Gerard then grabbed him by his collar and dragged him down the ashy, smoke-stained hallway into the room where Stiles had killed Kate. The room felt a lot bigger now that it had been gutted, Stiles noticed, as he was thrown onto his back in the middle of the floor. A tilt of his head showed him, Peter, gun to head in the corner of the room, grimacing at him. 

''You shouldn't have come, Stiles.'' Peter bit out, and the hunter holding the gun smacked him with it, which made Stiles climb up onto his feet. Seeing Peter on his knees was  _wrong._

''Shut up.'' He told Peter, who grimaced back.

''A gun, Stilinski?'' Gerard finally said, coming to stand right in front of him, staring him down. ''I wouldn't expect such from a  _witch_. Unless you're much more out of control than we thought. That night,'' he gestured around at the burned shell of a house, ''did you even mean to kill them? Or was it just an accident after you got your feelings hurt?'' 

Stiles gritted his teeth, anticipating the smack that would come. ''Not the men. But  _her?_ I took  _pleasure_ in burning the place down around her for what she'd done.'' 

Sure enough, Gerard's backhand sent him to the floor, his head spinning slightly.

''I don't have time to listen to you. We have much more pressing matters at hand.''

''Really? I was looking forward to the exposition!''

Gerard hit Stiles again and dizziness overtook him. He caught Peter's eye again before he was thrown into the basement he'd been kept in before. He lay on the cool ground, his face throbbing. He kept expecting his pack to burst in and save him, but they didn't. They must've been ambushed because they wouldn't  _leave_ him here. After what he thought was a few hours, light spilt into the room. He got his knees and Gerard pointed a gun at his face, gesturing to the stairs. 

Once upstairs, Gerard dropped him in the middle of the room again. Then he turned to the hunter that now held Stiles' gun.  ''It's time.'' 

He rounded on Stiles, ''I expected you to bring reinforcements, and I honestly wasn't expecting Christopher to be amongst them, but two wolves, and two humans? I'm disappointed. Where's the rest of your little rag-tag pack?'' 

When Stiles just stared at him, Gerard shook his head. 

They all looked up at the low snarl. The hunter had returned and slunk across the room. What filled the doorway instead, was a twisted, horror-movie wolfman, a warped and wrong version of the full shift.

''I'm glad you could join us.'' Gerard addressed the alpha, who nodded before dropping a hungry gaze to Stiles. 

'' _No._ Oh no, no, no! No,  _please!''_ Stiles was the first to realise the plan, before even Peter, who stared at him. ''You were never going to let him go where you? Of course no. I'm such an idiot.'' He hoped his gaze would be enough for Peter to know how  _sorry_ he was. 

''Indeed.'' Gerard told him. ''Did you know, no witch has ever been turned into a werewolf before? But when I heard about how _powerful_ you were...''

Before he could continue, Peter realised what was happening. He pulled against he grip on his body, snarling up at Gerard. '' _No! I won't let you!''_

Gerard raised his eyebrows. ''Let? Dog, you're in no position to stop me.'' He looked up at he hunter behind Peter, who cocked the hammer of the pistol at Peter's temple with an ominous click.

''Peter, don't.'' Stiles stared into he eyes of the alpha. 

Gerard shifted his focus back to Stiles. ''That's why I had the block put on you of course. I couldn't have you strengthening and taking way the opportunity for the bite to take hold.''

'' _What?_ What did you do to me?'' 

Gerard grinned, and Stiles knew he was done for.

''An old friend owed me a favour. Before he put down the witch he was hunting, he had her place a spell on you. Keep you uncontrolled and volatile so you couldn't get stronger.''

''When?'' Stiles asked, angry beyond belief that he hadn't known. 

''After you bonded with the wolf. He brought a stability to you that I just couldn't risk. And now, it's time.'' He clapped his hands together. 

 _''My turn?''_ The alpha asked, eyes still pinned on Stiles. 

 ''Yes.'' He hissed, spit flying, and the alpha surged forwards. Stiles tried to get away, scrabbling on the scorched tile, but a foreign hairy arm wrapped around him and he was being dragged to the other end of the room. He was hurled to the floor. He slid and hid the wall, thumping his head. '' _Mother fucker_ ' He managed to mutter, before the alpha was on him. If anything, knowing about the block on his magic made it even more uncontrollable and nothing but sparks erupted when he tried to defend himself. He growled in frustration.

'' _Wear yourself out witch, it just makes my job easier.''_

Before Stiles could react, there were teeth forcing their way into his neck, and he most pain he'd ever felt was paralysed his body. He was limp and boneless as the alpha dug into his flesh and sinewy muscle, drawing blood that pooled across Stiles' collar bone and down his front, into the vest he was wearing. So much for that. 

He met Peter's wide eyes, just for a second as the alpha growled against his throat, hot breath making him want to gag. Eventually he alpha dropped him with a heavy, wet thunk, and slunk away, out of sight. 

''Excellent. But that's not even the best part.'' Gerard stepped forward and grabbed Stiles again, dragging him out the way they'd come in. ''Bring the second.'' He barked over his shoulder to the hunter at Peter's back. 

Stiles' back thudded against the porch steps as Gerard threw him down them. The forest came into focus and Stiles wondered absently where his back-up was.

'' _Look up.''_ Gerard hissed into his ear, and it took him a moment to figure out which way to roll his head on his bloody neck. The full moon greeted him. 

''That's not possible.'' He whispered, counting the days. It couldn't be now, it was too soon, to close to the previous. But the numbers were right, and the time was just gone.

''There she is.'' Gerard crooned, making Stiles want to puke. ''The bringer of wolves. My family's worst nightmare. And now, she's yours too. Tell me Stiles,'' He grabbed Stiles' collar and pulled him up higher, inches closer to the moon, ''how does it feel? Is it calling to you yet? Do you feel it?''

Stiles  _could_  feel the moon, feel it pulling at his bones like an old injury, but it wasn't all he could feel. In a surprising moment of clarity, he felt the block on his magic melt away, and his  _proper_ magic flow back into his veins. He knew that Gerard had missed this. There was no way Gerard would have willingly given him the power of _two_ supernatural creatures.

The werewolf bite had pushed into his system already, he already knew he was lost to the moon, and so his magic wrapped around him tentatively, conflicted as whether to purge the venom or settle into it. When Gerard hit his around he head again, sending more waves of dizziness through him, his magic wrapped around the lycanthropy infection, merging with it. Stiles felt like he'd been asleep for a hundred years, until right now.

He looked up to Gerard, who was standing with his arms crossed, looking all pleased with himself. 

''Where's my alpha?'' Stiles asked, his throat burning.

Gerard whistled and the alpha pottered out of the house onto the grass. 

Stiles shook his head. ''No.  _My_ alpha.'' 

 _''HERE.''_  

They all turned, and Stiles bared his bloody neck to meet Talia's call. He looked over. Talia and Derek stood, flanked by Rowan and Stiles' dad. Chris stood slightly off to the left. They were all battered and bloody, meaning Gerard must've anticipated them and sent hunters to keep them occupied. 

Stiles could feel Derek's eyes burning into him but refused to meet his gaze, an odd shame burning through him.

The first bullet whistled through the air and Gerard crumpled. Chaos erupted. Stiles' sensed were assaulted, but one thing was clear. The alpha was coming for him. Coming for it's beta. When a hairy arm scooped him up for the second time, he shouted.

''No!'' 

The alpha faltered in its haste.

''Put me down!'' 

He was dropped to his feet.

'' _What is it Beta? Do you feel the moon's call? Do you wish to fight?''_

''Yes. But not them,'' he glanced over his shoulder, '' _you._ ''

The alpha let out a horrible choked laugh, turned glowing red eyes to his, its twisted body towering over him. ''We've fought before little witch, and I have more power over you than I did before. You don't stand a chance.'' 

The sound of a choked scream behind him made his blood run cold. He didn't turn his back to the alpha, knowing that would be a fatal mistake, but he knew that someone from his pack was hurt, enough to make his alpha scream. 

''I won't let you hurt them. It lies is protection, in loving and being loved.  _You have no power over me.''_ His words became a snarl as he lunged forward. His body moved before his brain did, winding him in circles and making it impossible for him to keep up with what was happening. The next thing he knew, he was sinking blunt teeth into the alpha's neck. With strength he'd never used before, he pulled his head back as hard as he could. He had no idea if his strength was from the bite, or his no longer suppressed magic, but he wasn't going to complain.. His mouth was full of hot flesh and blood as he dropped back and the alpha fell before him. 

The alpha powers hit his veins and it was liked a lighter was being held to every single one of his nerve endings. He let out a very human scream, and blacked out. 

 

\----

 

Derek had seen the alpha go for Stiles, but before he could follow, one of Gerard's hunters was gunning for him. It took his minutes to down the stubborn hunter, and by that time the alpha had already scooped Stiles up. He'd heard his alpha's scream, but he would've felt it if someone was dad so he kept moving, kept going, his mind full of Stiles.

He broke away from another hunter with a growl, but the hunter's grip was so tight on his arm that he was crushed under his falling body. It took him a second to wrestle free, and by the time he had, a hush had fallen across the fight. Hunters littered the ground, some dead and some unconscious. His mom was holding his dad up as Peter hovered, and he couldn't see Chris Argent. 

They all turned to the growl. They all watched as Stiles threw himself at the alpha. None of them expecting him to survive, they were all waiting for the alphas claws to crush his throat or rip his insides free. But that didn't happen. Stiles and the alpha collided, and blood sprayed into the air. Stiles fell back, and the alpha toppled. They all caught a glimpse of the alpha, throat torn away. 

Then Stiles started screaming. He was convulsing on the ground, twisting and crying out. Derek couldn't run fast enough. Just a few feet away, Derek stopped. Stiles, on his knees now, let out a single piercing scream into the night, that echoed around. The scream turned into a roar, one that none of them would forget.

The roar of an alpha.

Stiles collapsed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, feedback is loved :)


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is!

Stiles woke in his own bed at his own house, but it didn't feel quite right. 

The room was very cool due to the open window that was letting a sweet-smelling breeze waft into the room. Slow breathing alerted him to Derek's presence. He sat on the floor, propped against the edge of the bed, his head drooping in his sleep. As he moved slightly, his warm scent drifted to Stiles' nose.

Stiles' clothes were fresh and his skin was clean from the dirt and sweat and blood of the full moon. He reached a hand up and placed it over his neck. The wound had healed, but there was a scar, slight and barely-there as if it were years old. 

Stiles' slight movement made Derek stir and he turned his head lazily to gaze sleepily up at Stiles.

''Little red, you're finally awake. How do you feel?''

Stiles thought about it. ''Peaceful.'' He answered, and Derek grinned.

''Good. They're all gone. We don't have to worry about them ever again.'' 

Stiles let out a long breath. He remembered killing the alpha, but not much else. ''How long have I been asleep?'' 

''Three days. You got a letter saying if you miss much more school, you won't be able to graduate.'' 

Before Stiles could panic, Derek quickly continued. ''But- So did everyone else. My mom's got friends on the board of directors and you're not in trouble. You just have to start going, which shouldn't be a problem.''

Stiles sighed in relief and stared up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, he asked Derek the questioning burning at him. ''Derek?''

''Hm?''

''What am I?''

Derek didn't answer for a minute. ''We... We don't know. A witch has never been turned before. We don't know if you're actually a werewolf or not. We don't know if you'll be able to turn or use your magic. Deaton was useless as always. The power of the alpha is yours now, but we just don't know.''

Stiles blinked. It was pretty much as he'd been expecting. ''Do you still feel it?''

''Your magic? I think so. Before it was like... Like it thrummed as a second heartbeat in my chest, but now it's ... Different. But I don't think that's because of you. When you took the alpha's power, after you collapsed, my wolf went  _wild._ I couldn't control it. I don't even remember running over, but all of a sudden you were in my arms, and all I could think was that my mate better not be hurt.''

Stiles' breath caught in his throat. He'd known, he'd felt it, but it was different to hear Derek actually _saying_ it. 

''I'd felt the mate bond before, I knew what it was supposed to feel like, but right _then_ , it was like our mate bond rose to the surface. The bond between a wolf and a human is nothing like the bond between two wolves.''

Stiles tipped his head to look at Derek who was still sat on the floor, his face open and vulnerable. When Stiles took a deep shuddering breath Derek climbed up onto the bed next to him. 

''I know everything's uncertain right now, but we'll get through it together.'' Derek told him, wrapping him up in his arms and wiping away the tears on Stiles' cheeks. ''I promise.'' Derek whispered into his ear.

 

\----

 

''I can't do it!'' Stiles shouted in frustration, throwing his arms into the air. He'd  _tried_ and  _tried_ to shift for Talia, but he couldn't. She was still his alpha, despite everything, but whenever she gave him a command he wanted to growl and disobey. 

''I can't use my magic and I can't shift. What use am I to anybody?'' He dropped onto his ass in the leaves and put his head in his hands. Derek had been banned from Stiles and Talia's little training session, which Deaton was overseeing because he was too 'distracting' to Stiles. 

 _''Stiles.''_ She growled at him, and his lip curled up.  _''SHIFT!''_

The roar scared the crap out of him more than anything, but he felt a familiar prickle under his skin. Deaton had told him that because his magic and lycanthropy were intrinsically linked, he probably wouldn't be able to use one without the other, at least at first. 

His magic bubbled beneath the surface, along with the partial wolf. Deaton had also told him that until he fully accepted the bite, his wolf wouldn't form properly. 

Red bled over his eyes as the magic bubbled at the surface, desperate to get free. He snarled up at Talia, his teeth shifting into long, pointed fangs, just for a second. Then it was all gone, and he dropped his head back on the ground.

''It's a start.'' Talia told him.

He did find out though, a few days later, that his new bond with Derek brought about his magic more often than anything else. Being near Derek caused the tingle of magic, but now and again it would rise to the surface. When Lydia plopped down in Derek's lap to sweet him into lending her some book, Stiles saw red. He growled from the other end of the room and Lydia squealed as she was pushed onto the floor by Stiles' magic. 

Lydia glared at him, smoothing her skirt as Derek looked around bewildered. Jackson who stuck near Lydia like a puppy launched himself at Stiles. Jackson had his clawed hands around Stiles' throat before anyone could blink. Before the situation could be diffused, a dangerous growl slipped out of Stiles' throat. Jackson's eyes widened, but his grip didn't lessen. 

 _''Do you want your head to stay connected to your neck?''_ Stiles snarled in his face, shifting into his beta form, properly for the first time. He could feel the alpha power rising to the surface to challenge the beta who tried to stand up to him. Jackson looked ready to wet himself, and he quickly let go. 

Stiles' own hand went to his neck as someone started clapping across the room. 

''Well done, Stiles!'' Talia called happily from the doorway as Laura clapped next to her.

Laura grinned suspiciously. ''It looks like we've found your trigger Stilisnki.'' Her eyes flickered to Derek and Stiles growled again, quietly. 

Talia, Rowan and Peter sat him down later that night. He sat nervously opposite them. He hadn't voiced it, but one of his greatest fears about his situation was that he wouldn't be able to stay in the Hale pack. Now that he was an actual (kind-of) alpha, Isaac had become, truly, like his beta. None of them wanted to say it, but there was a good chance that Stiles was going to have to break off and form his own pack at some point, and if he did, Isaac would be going with him. 

''There's so much that's uncertain about your situation.'' Rowan started telling him. Stiles had had trouble looking either of Derek's parents in the eye after they'd announced their mate bond, but now he met Rowan's gaze. 

''And that's not necessarily  _bad_ , but it's important that we're careful. We're calling in some allies. There's going to more supernatural creatures spread across Beacon Hills, to increase the presence of the area and to help protect us. There are some people we hope can help you, and we're hoping that having allies at our backs will discourage any hunters from trying their luck with the 'Witch Wolf'. The rumours are already spreading, and we need to be protected.

Stiles took a minute to take this in. This was  _not_ what he'd been expecting. 

''Oh, and one other thing.''

Stiles looked up at Talia, not sure if he could take much more right now. 

''We've made contact with a powerful spark who we believe might be able to help you. His name is Cezary Brzezicki, and he's your mother's brother.''

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This whole thing had been an amazing experience for me, the feedback has been phenomenal so thank you!
> 
> I have plans for a sequel soon, so stay tuned :)


End file.
